‘Woh khelenge?’: Sunil Gavaskar questions whether Virat Kohli will be available for IPL

Kohli has missed the five-match Test series against England due to the personal reasons. The former India captain was initially names in the squad but he pulled out a day before the opening game. Earlier this month, Virat Kohli along with his wife Anushka Sharma announced the birth of their second child.

Gavaskar, who was interacting with the students of Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi during a Star Sports Star event responded to one of the queries about when Virat Kohli would be returning from the break.

“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.

On Hardik Pandya leading Mumbai Indians

Gavaskar supported Mumbai Indians decision to pass on the captaincy baton Hardik Pandya from Rohit Sharma.

“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,” he said.

Pandya had been handling the captaincy duties in the shortest format in Rohit’s absence and had led India in most of the T20I series after the 2022 World Cup.

“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’.”

On Rishabh Pant’s return

Sunil Gavaskar is excited to see Rishabh Pant back in the action after surviving a near-fatal car accident but at the same time warned the team management against rushing the wicketkeeper-batsman.

“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.

Bengaluru: India’s Rishabh Pant bats at the net practice as part of his rehabilitation programme, before team India’s practice session for the third T20 cricket match between India and Afghanistan, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (PTI Photo)

“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.

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