Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar on Monday (February 27) wondered if star batter Virat Kohli would feature in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, slated to get underway on March 22 with the CSK versus RCB clash at Chepauk.
Initially named in the Indian squad for the home Test series against England, Kohli pulled out of the first two matches citing personal reasons. He later remained unavailable for selection for the remainder of the five-Test series.
Last week, Kohli and his actor wife Anushka Sharma announced the birth of their second child, a baby boy named Akaay.
"Kya woh khelenge... kuchh reason ke liye khel nahin rahe hain, shaayad ho sakta hai ke IPL ke liye bhi na khele (Will he play... He is not playing because of some reason, perhaps he may not play in IPL as well)," Gavaskar said rather cheekily when asked if Kohli would be hungry for runs in the IPL as he would be returning to action after an extended hiatus.
Gavaskar’s comment came while interacting with the students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi during a Star Sports Star event.
On a different note, Sunil Gavaskar opined Dhruv Jurel could be the superstar of this IPL. The wicketkeeper-batter plays for Rajasthan Royals in the cash-rich league.
Playing only his second Test, Jurel earned the Player-of-the-Match honour for his stunning knocks of 90 and 39* in India’s series-clinching five-wicket victory over England in Ranchi.
"He could be promoted up the order. Jurel could be the superstar after this performance in the Test matches. Even Akash Deep could get more exposure in RCB and play the role of the death over specialist which they were missing last season."
Gavaskar also backed Mumbai Indians' decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as their new captain. The all-rounder would be succeeding Rohit Sharma, who led MI to five IPL titles in his 10-year stint as skipper.
"To allow Rohit to play purely as a batter... it has been a busy season for him, first the World Cup, and now this series.
"This will give him the freedom to play without worrying about other players. My feeling is that it will work very well for Mumbai Indians.
"For Hardik to have someone like Rohit to turn to would be invaluable. Hardik will enjoy having Rohit as 'captain'," Gavaskar opined.
Ahead of the IPL 2024 season, all eyes are on Rishabh Pant, who missed last year’s tournament due to the injuries sustained in a horrific car crash on December 30, 2022.
While Gavaskar is excited for Pant’s much-awaited comeback, he believes the wicketkeeper-batter shouldn’t be rushed.
"I'm also a big fan of him. For me the most important thing, is he should be healthy like before, so that he can come and entertain us.
"It will be very difficult for him and it will take some time for him to get that batting fluency. But good that he has started training.
"Knee plays a pivotal role in batting as well as keeping -- which of course he may not do initially. Maybe he won't be the usual Rishabh Pant that we are used to seeing," Gavaskar said.
"He certainly has the ability to think on his feet. If he gets back to full fitness, the reins of (Delhi Capitals) captaincy should be handed over to him.
"Let's stay hopeful. This season is first of him coming back to full fitness. Let's not rush him into doing something that there will be a setback," he added.
Sunil Gavaskar termed two-time champions (KKR) as the dark horse of the IPL 2024 season. For KKR to succeed, Gavaskar believes the "interaction" between coach Chandrakant Pandit and new mentor Gautam Gambhir would be key.
"Both Gambhir and Pandit are strong personalities and the interaction they would have would be key. The combination they both will make is going to be very crucial. If they click then KKR can become a very, very strong contender for the title."
(With PTI Inputs)
