Kapil Dev blasts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul for failing to perform in important matches

Senior Indian cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul are three key members of the Indian Cricket Team across formats. In T20 internationals, the trio forms the top three of the batting unit. The performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian T20 League 2022 didn’t inspire a lot of confidence.

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Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli endured forgettable outings with the bat. Rohit Sharma couldn’t score a single half-century throughout the tournament. In 14 matches, he could only manage to score 268 runs, while Virat Kohli amassed 341 runs at 22.73. KL Rahul, finished as the second-highest run-scorer but his knock in the Eliminator match also invited a lot of criticism.

Recently, the 1983 World-Cup winning captain, Kapil Dev made a bold statement on the trio. The legendary Indian skipper reckons that when the team needs them the most, all three fail to deliver.

“They have a big reputation and there's huge pressure on them, which shouldn't be the case. You have to play fearless cricket. All of these are players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. Whenever we need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off (in the innings), they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play an anchor or you play striker,” Kapil Dev said on the YouTube channel Uncut.

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Kapil Dev then solely criticized KL Rahul for not doing justice to his anchor role in the team. The 63-year stressed on the change of approach to win the big games.

“When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs and you come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you're not doing justice to your team,” said Kapil.

“I think the approach needs to change. And if it doesn't, you have to change the players. A big player is expected to make a big impact. Having a big reputation is not enough, you also have to deliver great performances.”

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