"They do not need many breaks" - Saba Karim on senior Indian batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim has observed that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not at the top of the rankings as they were rested for a number of matches this year.
During a discussion on India News Sports on Thursday, December 29, Karim suggested that both Sharma and Kohli do not need to be given too many breaks. He emphasized that it is important for the two star batters to play consistently prior to next year's 50-over World Cup.
Karim explained:
"While cricket is a team sport, individual performances are very important when it comes to winning matches. We are used to seeing Virat Kohli at the top of the rankings. But this time, his name was not there. The same goes for Rohit Sharma.
"Both of these players have frequently taken breaks this year and haven't played a lot of matches. I hope that they play consistently in ODIs before the 50-over World Cup. They do not need many breaks."
Meanwhile, both Sharma and Kohli will next be seen in action during the Men in Blue's upcoming three-match home ODI series against Sri Lanka in January next year. It is worth mentioning that the two senior batters haven't been named in the squad for the T20I series.
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Rohit Sharma back in the Indian squad 💪🏻
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While Kohli featured in both the ODI and Test series against Bangladesh, Sharma was ruled out of the final ODI and the subsequent red-ball fixtures due to a thumb injury.
"Rishabh Pant was the top performer for India in Tests this year" - Saba Karim
Saba Karim further spoke about how Team India struggled to win matches consistently in Test cricket this year, highlighting the side's defeats to South Africa and England.
He stated that, apart from Rishabh Pant, there were no other standout performers for the side in the longer format. Karim lauded the 25-year-old for contributing significantly both as a batter and as a wicketkeeper.
He said:
"It's been a tough year for us in Test cricket. We failed to win the matches that we should have. We had a great opportunity to win a Test series in South Africa, but we missed out on that.
"The same happened in England as well. Rishabh Pant was the top performer for India in Tests this year. Apart from him, there haven't been any other standout performers. He has done well both as a batter and with the gloves."
Rishabh Pant’s Test records are something to talk about 😇
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Notably, Pant was the leading run-getter for India in Test matches in 2022. The southpaw slammed two centuries and four fifties. He mustered 680 runs in 12 innings, finishing with an impressive average of 61.81.