Dambulla: India captain Virat Kohli stated here Saturday that he wants specific roles for certain players keeping a two-year time frame leading up to the 2019 World Cup, in mind.
“For us, it is about the time frame. It is not about which opposition we are playing. I am even ready to lose a few games to get the correct combination,” Kohli told reporters ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka here Sunday.
“Two years to go for the World Cup and now is the time to give players certain roles to get into the groove and understand what we need to do,” he added.
The skipper confirmed that KL Rahul is a certainty in that middle-order while Kedar Jadhav and Manish Pandey will be fighting for the remaining middle-order slot. However, he was quick to point out that Rahul will not be fixed for the No. 4 spot. “KL will definitely be playing in the middle-order. We are not going to be predictable or have a set pattern anymore in terms of what we are going to do in ODI or T20 cricket,” Kohli asserted.
Despite his series winning knocks in the West Indies, Ajinkya Rahane will have to wait in the wings as a third opener with Shikhar Dhawan having hit a purple patch.
“Shikhar is an impact player. He and Rohit, we know what they have done (achieved) in the past together. We understand their potential also, Jinks (Rahane’s nickname) understands that at this stage, he is the third opener in the team,” Kohli pointed out.
Kohli knows that in his efforts to experiment, criticism is bound to happen. But he is ready to accept it.
“Criticism will come along the way, but we should be ready to embrace challenges and be ready to take risks and to lose a few games when you need to try out something,” Kohli asserted.
Press Trust of India
