Virat Kohli is the only player that the Indian team management can afford to rest in the upcoming Asia Cup Super 4s match, says Sanjay Manjrekar, who also dismisses any notion of resting comeback man KL Rahul.
Kohli blazed his way to his 47th ODI hundred, while comeback man KL Rahul produced a fighting century on comeback as India thrashed a listless Pakistan by a record 228-run margin in a rain-marred Asia Cup Super Four game on Sunday. This is India’s biggest victory over its arch-rivals in terms of runs.
“I think they will go with their full-strength team. They want to win that game and maybe in that final, you know the Super Four game, they might want to try something. The only player they can rest is Virat Kohli honestly, because he is in form and he can come back and catch up with where he left off,” Sanjay Manjrekar told Asia Cup broadcasters.
Kohli and Rahul put on 233 runs for the unbeaten third wicket stand, India’s highest ODI partnership against Pakistan. On his way to his 77th international century, Kohli added some personal milestones to his already lengthy list, becoming the fastest batsman to 13000 ODI runs and scoring his fourth century in four innings at R Premadasa Stadium.
Kohli is only the second batter in history to score four consecutive hundreds at the same venue, joining South Africa’s Hashim Amla at Centurion. However, Rahul’s hundred was equally significant to the team.
Manjrekar firmly dismissed any discussion regarding giving any kind of rest to KL Rahul. Following his brilliant ODI hundred in the comeback match against Pakistan, KL Rahul is brimming with confidence, something Manjrekar doesn’t want to hinder.
“Rahul, he’s just got 100. He’s feeling great about himself. Let him go in there and get another. He’s match fit. So now you shouldn’t be talking about resting him. If he’s match-fit, he should be playing. The only person that I feel will not change the balance too much and can afford to come back and rest him and he will be fine,” Manjrekar added.
