Former England spinner Graeme Swann has called India openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma the best opening pair of the T20 World Cup, and reckons the Indian team needs to reunite them at the top if both players are to realise their full potential and deliver in the must-needed game against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
India on Sunday made Ishan Kishan open with KL Rahul, with Rohit coming out at No. 3. Ishan scored 7 while Rohit managed a run-a-ball 14. The decision was met with a lot of criticism as India’s batting looked lost and the team finished with a modest total of 110/7. As India get ready to face Afghanistan in a must-win match on Wednesday, Swann feels it is time for India to go back to the Rohit-Rahul pair at the top.
"The way I see it… India have got KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma – potentially the best opening pair at the T20 World Cup. Yes, things need to go their way and they need a partnership. But they are absolute world-class, incredible T20 batsmen. But both of them are effective only of they get all 20 overs to bat. Therefore, they should open the batting and India should build the team around that. Have those 2 open the innings and Virat Kohli at 3 grabbing the game by the scruff of its neck," Swann told Cricket.com.
{{/usCountry}}"The way I see it… India have got KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma – potentially the best opening pair at the T20 World Cup. Yes, things need to go their way and they need a partnership. But they are absolute world-class, incredible T20 batsmen. But both of them are effective only of they get all 20 overs to bat. Therefore, they should open the batting and India should build the team around that. Have those 2 open the innings and Virat Kohli at 3 grabbing the game by the scruff of its neck," Swann told Cricket.com.
{{/usCountry}}Swann is a believer of not changing too many things too quickly, just because a couple of results haven't gone a team's way. Ahead of the Afghanistan tie, the former off-spinner shared a special message for the two openers, urging Rahul to show the form he did for Punjab Kings in the IPL, and expects Rohit to be back at his marauding best.
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"I wouldn’t look to shake the whole thing up or change the whole team. I would just say to the players, ‘Rohit, KL… you are opening the batting. Just do what you did in the IPL, mate. You’ve played on these wickets, against these players. KL, go get one of those hundreds you’re famous for. Rohit, smash it everywhere. Don’t be timid’," pointed out Swann.