Cricket

SA vs IND 2022: KL Rahul should give Venkatesh Iyer the ball to give him confidence – Zaheer Khan

Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan reckons KL Rahul should give Venkatesh Iyer the ball in the remaining two ODIs to give him confidence.

Before the first ODI against South Africa, the Indian ODI captain KL Rahul stated that they will play Venkatesh Iyer as the all-rounder as they are looking to build their team for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

However, KL Rahul surprisingly didn’t give a single over to Venkatesh Iyer in the series opener. Furthermore, the left-hander also failed to make an impression with the bat as he was dismissed for only two runs.

Rahul’s decision to not bowl Venkatesh Iyer also left a lot of cricket pundits shocked as the pitch was on the slow side and the medium-pacer could have been given a couple of overs in the middle of the innings.

In fact, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan revealed that they didn’t bowl Venkatesh Iyer as the spinners were doing a decent job in the middle overs.

On the other hand, South African captain Temba Bavuma made the most of his resources as Andile Phehlukwayo and Aiden Markram bowled five and six overs respectively and also scalped a wicket each.

‘The one thing you should learn is how Bavuma used his resources. He didn’t use seamers and spinners separately. We didn’t see either seamers or spinners operating in tandem for a long time. So, you made the best system out of resources you have,” Zaheer told Cricbuzz.

“When you talk about Venkatesh Iyer.. you should have given him the ball if you want to give him confidence. Don’t look at the match situation. If you’ve planned something.. like you said earlier that you’re planning while keeping in mind the World Cup, so you have to show confidence right now. You will have to give him over. A player only learns from his failures. You can’t buy experience in the market.”

Zaheer added that Iyer will gain confidence with the ball only when he is given the opportunity to showcase his bowling skills.

“Suppose Iyer plays 4-5 matches and you don’t give him an over.. you can’t say later that we have an all-rounder ready in him. Yes, if he bowls, he will get better. I’m not only talking about Iyer in particular, it’s about a sixth option in general. You will have to give them chances; only then you will have options. Right now, it feels like you aren’t confident enough to back him,” said Zaheer.

India lost the opening ODI by 31 runs and they will look to bounce back in the second ODI, which will be played at the same venue of Boland Park, Paarl on Friday.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024