“It’s a good sign” – Salman Butt as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shine in IND vs SL 1st ODI

Salman Butt feels that India skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are crucial cogs for Team India heading into the 2023 ODI World Cup. The former Pakistan captain reckons that the senior batters will make the team stronger on paper, which will come in handy in the ICC tournament.

The statement came as Kohli scored 113 off 87 balls, while Sharma contributed 83 of 67 deliveries in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, January 10. Together, the duo hit four sixes and 21 boundaries. Team India posted 373 runs in their allotted 50 overs.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt said:

“It’s a good sign that Rohit Sharma played well and Virat Kohli scored big. When they are amongst runs, India look like a completely different team. They are not just brilliant players in India but the world.”

It’s worth mentioning that Kohli was below par 2022 season. He scored 302 runs in 11 ODIs at an average of 27.45, including a lone century in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Sharma could only score 95 runs in three ODIs in Bangladesh, where India lost 2-1.

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“He is a big player who can win games single-handedly for India” – Salman Butt on Rohit Sharma

Butt feels that Sharma has worked on his fitness. With the ODI World Cup later this year, he wants the captain to lead by example and set benchmarks for other players to follow.

Butt said:

“World Cup is ahead. Rohit Sharma is the captain and he needs to lead by example. The more he gets fitter, the easier it’ll be to convince others to get fit. He is a big player who can win games single-handedly for India.”

Sharma and Co. won the game by 67 runs, despite a fighting century from Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka (108*). The Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

The action will now shift to Eden Gardens in Kolkata for the second ODI on Thursday, January 12.