'When you have impact players like Ishan, Suryakumar...': Gambhir's huge statement on Kohli's role for ODI World Cup
With the team largely depending on young and impact players, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has made a massive statement on Kohli's role for the World Cup in the Indian team.
With the 2023 ODI World Cup just nine months away, focus of all the team have turned to finding the right combination for the tournament and the defining the roles of each players in it. For India, few are certainties, while the search of the remainder continues as they contest against Sri Lanka at home on Sunday in their final ODI match of the series. Virat Kohli will be the most experienced player for India at the World Cup, making his fourth appearance, and probably his last as well. And with the team largely depending on young and impact players, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has made a massive statement on Kohli's role for the World Cup in the Indian team.
Kohli made his first appearance in the ODI World Cup in 2011, when India had lifted their second trophy. Gambhir, who was part of the team and was the top-scorer for India in the final, feels that Kohli should play the role of an anchor.
“50 over format is the only format where you need an anchor. You really don’t need someone to anchor the innings in T20 cricket. And Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s experience will be very very important,” he told Star Sports in an interaction.
Gambhir also feels that with India having more younger talents in the squad, the experience of Kohli and the role he plays becomes bigger.
“If you have all these impact players and you pick them like Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, let’s not forget that they will be playing their first World Cup and that’s why Virat and Rohit’s experience will be very very important. Now, it needs to be seen how the whole batting line up revolves around Virat Kohli or around Rohit Sharma," he added.
“I personally feel in this World Cup, Virat Kohli’s role is very important."
Kohli has been is impressive form in the ODI format where he scored back-to-back tons. He scored 113 against Bangladesh and followed it up with an identical score in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
