T20 World Cup 2022: “Certain players come once in a generation” - Robin Uthappa backs Team India despite semi-final loss
Team India players have come in for a lot of criticism from fans and experts following their meek surrender to England in the second T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final. However, former batter Robin Uthappa threw his weight behind the Men in Blue, while also naming the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav as the team’s beacons for the next few years.
India bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2022 following a 10-wicket loss to England in Adelaide on Thursday, November 10. Batting first, they posted 168/6 on the board in their 20 overs. However, England’s openers gunned down the total in 16 overs.
In the wake of the defeat, the likes of Rahul, skipper Rohit Sharma, and a few others have been subjected to plenty of criticism. Chipping in with his thoughts over extreme reactions to Team India’s defeat, Uthappa told Sportskeeda:
“There are certain players that you know that come once in a generation. You will see high-quality players coming in. Virat Kohli was one such player. Now Kohli is coming to the backend of his career.
"Who are the people who are going to represent India and be the beacons over the next 10 years? The likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Shreyas Iyer. They deserve our respect and our backing, which they don’t get.”
Team India’s openers have been disappointing 😔
#crickettwitter #india #teamindia https://t.co/cPYwzf19zE
Team India topped their group at the conclusion of the Super 12 round, winning four of their five matches. However, they again faltered in the knockouts, failing to come up with a good performance.
“I believe that there is still quite a lot of cricket left in Rohit Sharma” - Kiran More on Team India captain
In the wake of Team India’s unceremonious exit from the T20 World Cup 2022, calls have been growing to sack Rohit as captain and player from the T20I squad.
While admitting that the players will be feeling the pressure of the loss, former India selector Kiran More stated:
“When you lose the World Cup, there is a lot of pressure on everyone. In the last ODI World Cup in England, Rohit slammed 4-5 tons. He is a wonderful player. It’s up to the selectors (to decide on his future).
“I believe that there is still quite a lot of cricket left in Rohit Sharma. It depends on his fitness and performance. There is no need to panic. The T20 World Cup is held every two years. So there will be plenty of opportunities.”
Rohit had a forgettable T20 World Cup 2022 with the bat, managing only one fifty-plus score. He was dismissed for 27 off 28 in the semi-final against England.