IND vs ZIM 1st ODI: 'When KL Rahul opens the innings..', Sanjay Manjrekar makes a BIG statement on India captain

Sanjay Manjrekar said that there are many options for India to open the innings but KL Rahul should open as he needs to get the feel right before the T20 World Cup 2022 where he will certainly open.

Source: Twitter

India captain for the ODI series vs Zimbabwe KL Rahul didn't come to open the innings when the chase began. India opted to bowl first after winning the toss and Zimbabwe put on 189 on the board, getting bowled out under 41 overs. When the chase started, fans were surprised to see Rahul making way for Shubman Gill at the top as he came out to open the innings with Shikhar Dhawan. On the eve of the match, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar had predicted this move, saying Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be pushing Rahul for the spot and Rahul will need either of them to make a big sacrifice to open the innings. 

"Shikhar Dhawan will open. Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad are the other guys who will be pushing KL Rahul and you know the team management as options. So, it will be about somebody making a personal sacrifice from KL Rahul’s standpoint thinking from only his angle. We've seen over the years that when he opens the innings, he gets a big one when he backs down the order at 5 or 6 obviously he doesn't get that opportunity. But then where do you back Shubman Gill? Shubman Gill can bat at number 3," said Manjrekar while Speaking on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show SPORTS OVER THE TOP. 

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— K L Rahul (@klrahul) August 16, 2022

He added that there are many option for India to open the innings but Rahul should open as he needs to get the feel right before the T20 World Cup 2022 where he will certainly open.

Manjrekar also spoke highly of Deepak Chahar, who is making a comeback into the team after a long gap due to injury. He said that Indian team is testing waters with him in the 50-over series. He he does well, he will certainly get in that flight to Australia for the World Cup. The only obstacle for him could be Bhuvneshwar Kumar who is in similar mould and is back in form. But Indian selectors should keep Chahar in mind while picking the squad for the World Cup, feels Manjrekar.