IND vs WI 2022: "Unless you give chances, you'll never know"- Rohit Sharma explains reasons for backing Avesh Khan over Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the last over of 2nd T20I

Quite a few eyebrows were raised when Indian captain Rohit Sharma opted not to use Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the death in the second T20I against West Indies on August 1.

At that stage, the Caribbean side needed just 16 runs from their last two overs to level the series. Kumar still had two overs up his sleeve and had conceded just 12 runs in the match at St. Kitts.

Arshdeep Singh bowled an incredible penultimate over, conceding just six runs. However, Avesh Khan, who Sharma chose to use in the final over, couldn't quite deliver what was required. The 25-year-old bowled a no-ball off the very first delivery and then conceded a four and a six that helped the hosts level the series.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Rohit Sharma explained why he backed Khan and Arshdeep Singh over Bhuvneshwar Kumar's experience. He said:

"We know what Bhuvi does for us; he has been doing it for years. Unless you give chances to guys like Avesh and Arshdeep, you'll never know. But it is just one game. They have the skills and the talent and it is all about backing them."

Despite the loss, the 35-year-old was proud of the way his bowlers made a target of 139 look so difficult for the West Indies. Sharma added:

"I am really proud of the bowlers and the team. Targets such as these can get over in 13-14 overs, but we dragged it to the last over. I think the guys executed their plans and really happy with the way they bowled."

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Rohit Sharma on India's batting approach

Team India seem to have embraced an ultra-attacking approach while batting, which has been evident since their T20I series against England last month. However, it didn't work out the way they wanted in the second T20I against West Indies, who limited the visitors to just 138.

Captain Rohit Sharma accepted that perhaps the Men in Blue just didn't have enough runs to play with. However, he also claimed that the team is committed to this new template, despite knowing that there will be occasional failures. He stated:

"It was not enough runs on the board for us. We didn't bat well. Pitch was playing quite nicely but we didn't apply ourselves. But that can happen."

Sharma continued:

"I have said again and again that when you are trying something as a batting group, it won't work out always. We will try to see our mistakes and look to correct them."

The third T20I between the two teams will be played again at St. Kitts on Tuesday, August 2, at 9:30 PM IST.