Former Indian skipper and all time great ODI batsman Sourav Ganguly has expressed his delight for the run making spree of Indian opener Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has set the arena ablaze in the Caribbean with two half-centuries and a century to his name within the first three ODI’s of the tour.
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The right-hander, who hasn’t had a steady ODI career so far, has finally looked at ease in the format and regular opener Rohit Sharma’s absence from the squad has provided Rahane with that opportunity.
However, Ganguly at the same time is also concerned for the talented batsman, as he feels there is a lack of clarity surrounding his role in the team. Post the win in the second ODI at Trinidad, skipper Virat Kohli had said Rahane was a flexible option and could be used as a floater in the team. Kohli also hinted that the Mumbai batsman was even good enough to bat in the middle order.
“Jinx has been a part of the ODI set-up for a while and we all felt he had a great potential at the top of the order. He is always there as the third opening batsman,” Kohli said.“In this series, he has batted really well in both the games.”
“He paced his innings well. He is such an established Test batsman. He wants to make it count in the shorter format. “I think he has started taking a lot less pressure on himself and has begun enjoying his game more. He can only go up from here and improve in this format,” he added.
Ganguly though, maintained that Kohli needs to discuss Rahane’s role and ensure that the Mumbai batsman is clear of what is expected from him in the team.
“[Rahane] knows that he will be playing these five matches and the feeling of relief is showing in his game,” Ganguly mentioned. “I believe Kohli should immediately sit with Rahane and define his role in the team clearly so that a talent like him knows the road ahead clearly. A free-minded Rahane will not only take his game a few notches higher but will also know about his importance in the squad.”
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