Asia Cup 2022: "If you expect too much too soon, it will create problems" - Saba Karim urges India to stay patient with KL Rahul, Virat Kohli
Former Indian wicketkeeper and selector Saba Karim believes Team India need to be patient with star batters KL Rahul and Virat Kohli if the duo are to return to their best selves.
Rahul has been underwhelming with the bat ever since his international comeback against Zimbabwe last month. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck in India's Asia Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan. While the opener scored 36 runs in their next match against Hong Kong, he struggled during his 39-ball stay at the crease.
Karim explained how tough it is for any player to get into the groove when they are coming back from an injury or from a break. Speaking to India News Sports after India's 40-run win over Hong Kong, the former keeper said about concerns over the form of Rahul and Kohli:
"It was a fresh wicket and the ball was stopping a little bit early on. I agree that we could have scored 15-20 runs more, but you need to understand that there are two players who are coming into the team after a long time - KL Rahul and Virat Kohli."
Karim added:
"You need to nurture your experienced players when they come back after a break. If you expect too much too soon, it will create problems for your own team."
"Virat Kohli is well known for these kinds of innings" - Rajkumar Sharma
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma, who was also present on the panel, was delighted to see Kohli get some runs under his belt against Hong Kong.
Good win today. A special knock by SKY. We'll keep going. 🇮🇳 https://t.co/wbSBWqLzOU
Kohli struggled to maintain a healthy strike-rate initially, but accelerated well at the death to end up on an unbeaten 59 from 44 balls. Sharma feels this is exactly why someone of his stature is needed in the team and stated:
"Virat Kohli is well known for these kinds of innings. It was great to see him get a significant score after an important contribution in the last game. These knocks will only give him more confidence and you need it for your team since he is an impact player and a genuine match-winner."
Next up, India will face the winner of the clash between Pakistan and Hong Kong, which is set to take place on September 2.
With Kohli scoring 94 runs in his first two Asia Cup knocks, can we expect a big score from him in his next game? Let us know in the comments.