IND v AUS 2020: 'I don't think Virat Kohli is under any kind of pressure with captaincy' - Harbhajan Singh
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has opined that captaincy is not burdening Virat Kohli, and added that he should get able support from the rest of his teammates.
India lost the second ODI against Australia on Sunday (November 29), thus handing the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
While there have been talks about Virat Kohli being bogged down by captaincy, Harbhajan Singh – in an interview with India Today – stated that the Indian skipper loves challenges but it’s not possible for him to always get India over the line.
“I don’t think Kohli is under any kind of pressure with captaincy, don’t think it’s a burden for him. I think he enjoys those challenges, he is a leader, who leads from the front and sets example for the team to do the needful; for the team to win games,” Harbhajan Singh said.
The 36-year-old had voiced the same opinion after India lost to New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final last year. In addition to the constant merry-go-round of the No. 4 slot, nobody apart from Rohit Sharma (648 runs) and Virat Kohli (443 runs) made it big at the showpiece event.
“I don’t think captaincy is affecting Virat Kohli as it’s obviously one guy cannot win you the game. As I said, even after the World Cup, you know you have Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, standing and taking the team forward and scoring most of the runs,” Bhajji explained.
Rohit Sharma failing to recover from the hamstring tear in his left leg has robbed India of both experience and firepower at the top of the order on their 2020-21 tour Down Under.
Team effort will take a little bit pressure off Virat Kohli, feels Harbhajan Singh
With Mayank Agarwal opening with Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul is batting at No. 5. After racking up 204 runs in the 3-match ODI series versus New Zealand earlier this year, the Karnataka batsman smashed a 66-ball 76 in the second ODI yesterday.
Harbhajan Singh wants some of the other players to make significant contributions as well.
“It’s good to see KL performing but you need couple of more guys consistently doing well for Team India. So the pressure can shift off a little bit from Virat so that he can bat freely, he can do what he needs and also enjoy the game,” Harbhajan concluded.
India would look to bounce back in the third ODI at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday (December 2), ahead of the 3-match T20I series starting on December 4.