New Delhi, March 30 Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh criticized Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane for not using Sunil Narine against a dominant Rohit Sharma during their IPL match against Mumbai Indians, despite Narine's strong record against the MI star.
Chasing 221, Rohit smashed 78 off 38 balls while adding 148 in 72 balls with opening partner Ryan Rickelton (81 off 43 balls), as the KKR bowlers were thoroughly dominated on a flat Wankhede surface on Sunday.
"The ideal strategy would have been to bowl Sunil Narine during the powerplay, at least one or two overs to target Rohit Sharma early. That would have been their best opportunity to take wickets and put pressure on Mumbai. Instead, Narine didn't even bowl his full quota, which indicates that the captaincy was not up to par," Harbhajan told JioStar.
"Credit goes to Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. They played with ease and never allowed the bowlers to settle, but KKR could have handled that phase much better," Harbhajan added.
Harbhajan's former India teammate and renowned analyst Irfan Pathan praised Shardul Thakur for his impressive performance, taking 3 wickets for 39 on a flat pitch.
"He's not a bowler who gets intimidated, even when batsmen are attacking. He consistently puts pressure on them. What stands out is how he uses his variations," Pathan said.
Pathan believes that Shardul is always trying to create opportunities.
"Every time he starts his run-up, he's already adjusting his grip, whether it's for a slower ball, cross-seam, or even a scrambled seam delivery. He's always trying to create something.
"He invites batsmen to go for big shots and thrives on that. He doesn't have express pace or a big swing, but he's constantly experimenting with different lengths and speeds, which is why he keeps taking wickets," Pathan concluded.