Former Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun has opined that opposition bowlers should relish the challenge of bowling to in-form batters like Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Arun said it is incredible to see what these two batters are doing at the top level but as a bowler, one should look to prove their mettle against these two in-form batters.
Sharma recently scored 182 runs in five games against the Kiwis at an average of 45.50 and a blistering strike rate of 249.31. The left-hander returned with impressive scores of 84 runs off just 35 balls in the series opener whereas he smashed 68 runs off just 20 balls in the third game.
On the other hand, Ishan Kishan scored 215 runs in four matches against New Zealand at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18.
“I think it is fabulous, what these batters are doing at the top, especially Abhishek Sharma, the kind of starts he is giving India, the kind of form he is in. Somebody like Ishan Kishan, who is in great form, to be batting with him, I think they have all bases covered,” Bharat Arun told RevSportz.
“I think it is a great challenge for a bowler to be bowling to such batters, but if I were a bowler, I would say yes to bowling against them, it is a big, big challenge. There is an opportunity for me to become a hero. If a bowler is going to have this kind of a mindset, I’m sure he would do well,” he added.
The LSG bowling coach gave credit to the Indian Premier League for the massive rise of Indian cricket in the T20I format.
“I would think that this is probably a very, very experienced Indian team. Thanks to the IPL, there is a lot of experience, in terms of batting, bowling, and also preparation. New Zealand always punch above their weight, and to prepare against a team that always does well in ICC tournaments, it is great preparation,” Bharat Arun said.
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7.
