T20 World Cup 2022: “They have to really kick it up” – Former Indian cricketer after Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul’s flop show against Pakistan

Former Indian cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi has voiced his concern after Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul failed to deliver at the T20 World Cup against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday (October 23).

He feels that the duo must fire for the Men in Blue throughout the tournament if they want to win the showpiece T20 event once again after a 15-year gap.

It is worth mentioning that Rahul and Rohit departed for identical scores of four runs against Babar Azam and Co., leaving the Men in Blue in a spot of bother at 10/2. In-form Suryakumar Yadav also failed to deliver on the big stage as he fell for 15 off 10.

Luckily, Virat Kohli’s masterclass and Hardik Pandya’s partnership helped India chase down 160 after a nervy final over. While Kohli slammed an unbeaten 82 off 53 deliveries, Hardik contributed 40 (37).

Speaking to India News, Sodhi said:

“They [Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul] have to really kick it up. They need to pick up big form if we want to win the T20 World Cup. Will KL Rahul be dropped? It would be interesting to see.”

He added:

“If you want to win the T20 World Cup, all your batters - Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav – must blaze all cylinders. We’ve to accept that luck was on our side in the last match and Virat Kohli single-handedly took [on Pakistan and won] the game.”

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Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul must deliver for India against South Africa in crucial T20 World Cup fixture

The Indian openers need to deliver on their next crucial fixture against South Africa in Perth on Sunday (October 30).

The Proteas are one of the biggest teams in Group 2, apart from India and Pakistan. A win against Temba Bavuma and Co. would ensure a place for Team India in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals after they beat Pakistan in an important game.

Interestingly, the openers have enjoyed a good record against the Proteas in T20Is. While Rohit has scored 405 runs in 16 matches, Rahul has amassed 108 runs in a couple of games.

Rohit and Rahul will look to come out with all guns blazing against the Netherlands in Sydney on Thursday (October 27). A good performance against the unfancied Dutch side will boost their confidence for the crucial game on Sunday.