Sunil Gavaskar Says Virat Kohli May Miss IPL 2024

Sunil Gavaskar Says Virat Kohli May Miss IPL 2024: The great Sunil Gavaskar pondered on Monday if star batsman Virat Kohli will participate in the next Indian Premier League, given that the cricket player has been missing the current Test series against England due to personal issues.

On March 22 at Chepauk, the reigning champion Chennai Super Kings will play the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match of the IPL 24. Initially named in the Indian Test squad, the RCB talisman pulled out before the opening game in Hyderabad.

Earlier this month, the cricketer along with his wife Anushka Sharma announced the birth of their second child.

“Kya woh khelenge… kuchh reason ke liye khel nahin rahe hain, shaayad ho sakta hai ke IPL ke liye bhi na khele (Will he play… He is not playing because of some reason, perhaps he may not play in IPL as well),” Gavaskar said rather cheekily when asked if Kohli would be hungry for runs in the IPL as he would be returning to action after a long break.

According to Gavaskar, Dhruv Jurel, a wicketkeeper-batter for the Rajasthan Royals, may be this IPL’s breakout star.

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Jurel, who was playing in just his second Test match, was named Man of the Match after he brilliantly batted for 90 runs and 39 not out in India’s five-wicket victory against England that ended the series.

“He could get a promotion in the hierarchy. Following this performance in the Test matches, Jurel may become a superstar. Even Akash Deep could have more opportunity to play the position of death over specialist in RCB, which they lacked in the previous season.” Gavaskar also hailed Mumbai Indians’ move to make Hardik Pandya their captain, paving the way for Rohit Sharma to bat freely, without the additional responsibility of leading the side.

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“To allow Rohit to play purely as a batter… it has been a busy season for him, first the World Cup, and now this series.

“This will give him the freedom to play without worrying about other players. My feeling is that it will work very well for Mumbai Indians.

“For Hardik to have someone like Rohit to turn to would be invaluable. Hardik will enjoy having Rohit as ‘captain’.”

Gavaskar is also excited that his favourite player, Rishabh Pant, will be making a much-awaited comeback after surviving a near-fatal car accident.

“I’m also a big fan of him. For me the most important thing, is he should be healthy like before, so that he can come and entertain us.

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“It will be very difficult for him and it will take some time for him to get that batting fluency. But good that he has started training.

“Knee plays a pivotal role in batting as well as keeping — which of course he may not do initially. Maybe he won’t be the usual Rishabh Pant that we are used to seeing,” Gavaskar said.

“He certainly has the ability to think on his feet. If he gets back to full fitness, the reins of (Delhi Capitals) captaincy should be handed over to him.

“Let’s stay hopeful. This season is first of him coming back to full fitness. Let’s not rush him into doing something that there will be a setback,” he added.

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