Cricket

KL Rahul, the enigmatic Indian cricketer, recently faced a perplexing dilemma during an interview on Star Sports. Asked to choose his preferred IPL 2025 teammate from the legendary trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, Rahul found himself in a pickle."It's a tough one," Rahul confessed. "I've enjoyed playing with all of them. It's very tough to answer."Rahul's predicament highlights the exceptional talent pool available in Indian cricket. Rohit Sharma, the current Indian captain, is renowned for his aggressive batting and astute leadership. Virat Kohli, the former Indian captain, is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. MS Dhoni, the former Indian captain and wicketkeeper, is known for his calm demeanor and strategic brilliance.In addition to his teammate selection dilemma, Rahul also revealed his preferred batting position. "I would pick 'floater' instead of opener or finisher," he said. "I like to bat at different positions and adapt to the situation."Rahul's versatility and adaptability make him a valuable asset to any IPL team. He has consistently performed well at the top of the order, but he is also capable of batting in the middle order and finishing innings.After being released by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rahul is set to enter the upcoming IPL mega auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore, the highest possible. As captain of LSG for three seasons, Rahul guided the team to the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. However, the team's performance dipped in 2024, leading to a seventh-place finish.Despite his departure from LSG, Rahul clarified that he is open to taking on the captaincy role again if presented with the opportunity. "I would never go and ask someone for it," he said. "But if you feel that my leadership skills are good enough... I am happy to do it."Rahul's primary focus is to be part of a team with a positive and supportive environment. He believes that a collective and unified approach is crucial for success in a tournament as competitive as the IPL.The upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction will be a significant event for both Rahul and the franchises. His experience, batting prowess, and leadership qualities make him a valuable asset.

The Impact Player rule, introduced in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023, has sparked controversy among players and experts. While some, like Rohit Sharma, believe it hinders the development of all-rounders, others, like R Ashwin, argue that it adds strategic depth to the game.Ashwin believes the rule encourages innovation and makes the game fairer. He cites the example of Shahbaz Ahmed, who became a match-winner for Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024 after being brought in as an Impact Player."It gives a little more value for strategy," Ashwin said. "The other side of that argument is it doesn't encourage all-rounders. But no one is stopping them."Ashwin argues that the rule has not prevented all-rounders from emerging. He points to Venkatesh Iyer, who has impressed for Lancashire in England."There's an opportunity for innovation and it makes the game fairer," Ashwin said.He also believes the rule has helped players move up the ranks, including Shahbaz Ahmed, Shivam Dube, and Dhruv Jurel."If not for the Impact Player rule, he may have never gotten the chance," Ashwin said of Jurel.However, Ashwin opposes the reintroduction of the Right to Match (RTM) rule, which allows teams to retain players they have released."If a franchise has released a player because they don't see him in their top four or five, then what gives them the right to jump in during an auction," Ashwin argued.He suggests that players should have the option to decide if they want to be RTMed and that a pre-determined price should be set by the player.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman has expressed confidence that the legendary trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja will continue to excel in the longer formats of cricket despite their retirement from T20Is.Laxman, who is currently serving as the head coach of the Indian team for their T20I tour of Zimbabwe, paid tribute to the contributions made by the veteran players over the past decade. He highlighted their passion, pride, and exemplary performances as role models for young cricketers."My message to these three stalwarts of the game, you know, Virat, Rohit, and I consider Ravindra Jadeja also an extremely talented player who has contributed immensely to the development of the Indian and the progress of the Indian cricket team. A big congratulations. Thank you for all the contribution they've given to this great game and set an example for the youngsters to follow," Laxman said in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).Laxman believes that the trio's retirement from T20Is will not diminish their impact on Indian cricket. He expects them to continue their exceptional performances in Test and One-Day International (ODI) cricket."So while they've retired from this format, I'm sure that they will continue to prepare the way they did so far in their career and continue to bring laurels to the country. So big congratulations for excellent T20I career, but I'm sure that they're going to contribute in the longer version of the game and the 50-year format of the game," Laxman added.The Indian squad for their upcoming tour against Sri Lanka is yet to be announced. The series will mark the first assignment of the newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, who succeeded Rahul Dravid after India's successful T20 World Cup campaign.