Seems like captaincy is putting pressure on Rahul, says Sarandeep Singh
Jan 22, 2022
New Delhi [India], January 22 : Former Team India selector Sarandeep Singh feels that batter KL Rahul's form was affected after he became the captain of the Men in Blue.
"He (Rahul) is in phenomenal form in IPL. He is a great batter but somehow he is not able to do well on SA series. It seems captaincy is putting pressure on him. The way he freely played in the IPL. He is not playing it over there in SA. The question is before going to IPL what is your form, but great players are in the form all the time," Sarandeep told ANI.
Rahul was picked by the Lucknow franchise for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Apart from him, Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and Indian domestic spinner Ravi Bishnoi have also been picked by the same franchise.
"Definitely KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis one of the best players Lucknow have retained. Especially Stoinis he is an all rounder and he is a big hitter also. He can bat up the order as well as middle order. He can bowl in slog overs. He can bowl with the new ball also. We all know what he can do in IPL matches," he added.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad franchise bought India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and Indian domestic batter Shubman Gill.
"Great buys for Ahmadabad Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan. Rashid Khan we all know what he did with the also and Shubman Gill the domestic player they have bought it from such a good amount as well and he is worth all the money as we have seen when he plays for KKR he scored fifties all the time. So, you know Shubman Gill can play for 10-12 overs and others will come around and play their shots," said Sarandeep.
"You don't need to say anything about Hardik Pandya we all know what he can do with the bat. The thing is whether he is bowling fit or not because there are a lot of stakes on him. If he only bats and does not bowl then it is not good for his international career also. I am not saying that he cannot play as a batter but as a batter he needs to bat up the order. But I hope if he starts bowling then it is better for him as well as for franchise and we need Hardik Pandya for Indian squad," he added.
IPL's two new teams -- Sanjiv Goenka RPSG Group for the Lucknow franchise and CVC Capital's Ahmedabad team had received formal clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The formal clearance was given after a meeting of the IPL Governing Council.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel had also confirmed that the IPL auction would be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. "Yes, the auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13," said Patel.
