Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan said that Team India are overreliant on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The pair have been the key players of the team’s batting unit as well. However, Kohli recently became the first Indian player to play over 100 games across three formats for the national team. And, the fact that he has an average of over 50 in Tests, ODIs, and T20I is not only a testament to his longevity, but to his stunning consistency as well.
While talking about that, the Afghanistan player said in an interview with the Hindustan Times: “Whenever we played against India, our plan used to be around Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. We used to say ‘get them out, half of Indian team is finished’. The whole world plans against these two big players like this only. They can win matches single-handedly.”
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However, the pair have led India to victories in plenty of matches, especially in white-ball cricket. While talking about how the early dismissals of the duo significantly reduce Team India’s chances of posting a big total, Asghar Afghan added: “We used to believe that if we get both of them out early then about 100-120 runs would be less from India’s total in an ODI and about 60-70 runs in a T20I.”
Meanwhile, India went to the 2022 Asia Cup as favourites to lift the trophy but two defeats in the Super 4 stage cut India’s campaign short, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan making it to the final as well where Sri Lanka won the title.
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“Yes, on paper, India were the best team to win the Asia Cup. The kind of balance they had was great. But perhaps they took things a little light but the main reason for their losses in the Super 4 stage was the injury to Ravindra Jadeja. It really affected the balance of their side,” Asghar Afghan concluded.