T20 World Cup 2022: Madan Lal wants Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to provide a good opening stand against Bangladesh

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal feels Indian captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul need to finally step up in their T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh in Adelaide on Wednesday (November 2).

The 71-year-old said that Rohit seems to be struggling and Rahul is yet to rise to his standards in the premier event.

It is worth mentioning that Rohit failed to deliver in crucial matches against Pakistan and South Africa while returning with scores of 4 and 15 respectively. He, however, hit 53 off 39 balls against the Netherlands.

Rahul, meanwhile, is under fire for a string of low scores at the T20 World Cup, managing 4, 9 and 9 in the first three matches.

Speaking to Sports Tak, Madan Lal said:

“8:22 - Rohit Sharma is also not scoring runs. He is also struggling. If you change anyone, it may lead to slight problems.”

Madan Lal added:

“8:08 – KL Rahul’s performance has not been good owing to his caliber and his brand of cricket. He should play because I don’t think Bangladesh are a weak side.”

The Indian openers will look to provide a good platform for the middle order in the remaining matches of the tournament.

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Madan Lal wants Rishabh Pant in India's playing XI against Bangladesh in T20 World Cup

Madan Lal also mentioned that Rishabh Pant should make a comeback in India's Playing XI against Bangladesh after Dinesh Karthik failed to deliver in two crucial matches. He asked the team management not to experiment with Pant’s batting positions.

Karthik departed for 1 and managed to score just 6 against Pakistan and South Africa, respectively. He is even doubtful to play against Bangladesh owing to his back spasms.

“8:42 – Whether DK is available or not, I think Rishabh Pant must play. You have seen how he batted. If you want to play Pant, encourage him instead of tossing such a big batter up and down in the batting order. You have also seen his big innings and know how big a match-winner he is for India.”

Pant will look to solve India’s middle order problem after a collapse against South Africa on Sunday. A couple of good performances could help him gain much-needed confidence ahead of the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup 2022.