Lara Backs Rohit-Kohli to Deliver for India Against Bangladesh

Ahead of India's crucial Super Eights clash against Bangladesh in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, former West Indies legend Brian Lara has expressed confidence in the Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Lara believes that the experienced duo will deliver a strong performance against Bangladesh, setting the tone for India's knockout stage aspirations.

India currently sits in second place in Group 1 of the Super Eights, with a win against Afghanistan and two points. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is at the bottom of the table after losing to Australia. This match is crucial for Bangladesh to keep their Super Eights hopes alive, while India can virtually secure a semifinal berth with a victory.

Despite the opening pair's struggles in the tournament so far, Lara remains optimistic about their ability to turn things around. "India is going to be 100 without loss in that match if they bat first, right? And even if they bat second, they are going to be 100 without loss," Lara said.

Lara acknowledged the threat posed by Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, but he believes that Rohit and Kohli's experience will prove too much for the opposition. "Of course, Fizz (Mustafizur) is an amazing bowler. He is going to come out and threaten, but I just feel that India is just too much," Lara said.

Lara also praised the opening pair's overall quality, emphasizing their status as two of the best T20I players in the world. "I think it (Rohit-Virat pair) is going to give India that impetus that is needed going into the back end of the tournament of the semi-finals and the finals," Lara said.

While the tournament has been dominated by bowlers, Lara believes that India's opening partnership can provide the necessary impetus for the team's success. "This World Cup is a World Cup where no team is very dominant because of the state of the pitches. But if India can solve the opening problem, and it is not a problem, it is the two best T20 players in the world, they are not going to run right now," Lara concluded.

Tags: #ICC, T20, World, Cup, #India