Sunil Gavaskar said KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer must make every opportunity count in ODIs.
Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar warned KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer both not to take anything lightly in ODI cricket; otherwise, it could cost them a place in the Indian cricket team.
Rahul and Iyer have both been under the scanner for their batting performances in the ODIs, but for now, they have silenced their critics with their recent performances in the 50-over format of the game.
However, there is a lot of competition for places in India’s ODI team, especially keeping in mind the upcoming World Cup 2023, and the legendary batter feels the duo should not miss a single opportunity to impress the selectors.
He said so as the Men in Blue have already a plethora of options with Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav auditioning for a place in the middle order.
Gavaskar further insisted that the competition between Rahul and Iyer would only benefit the two batters, but warned the duo that the possible return of Pandya to the ODI set-up could affect their chances to cement their places in the Indian team.
Speaking to Sony Sports, Sunil Gavaskar said, “When you have someone breathing down you neck like KL Rahul will feel Shreyas Iyer is breathing down his neck which is again good for Rahul because he would want to go out there not taking any match lightly. He would want to score in every game.”
He added, “Both of them are outstanding fielders and KL Rahul can keep wickets which is a huge plus. Iyer can also bowl. So, it is good to have these kinds of competitions for No. 5 and 6 not to forget that there is a certain Hardik Pandya who is also likely to come back in the one-day side sooner than later.”