India’s temporary bowling coach, Sairaj Bahutule, mentioned that we will see Indian batsmen doing more bowling in the future. Recently, players like Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh in T20 matches, and Shubman Gill in one-day matches have started to bowl unexpectedly. The temporary coach thinks this could be a good strategy for the Indian team, asking batsmen to also bowl.
Before the first one-day match between India and Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma was asked if he would bowl, like Suryakumar did. But the Indian captain said they had enough good bowlers for the job. Unexpectedly, Shubman Gill, who bowls right-arm off-break, was given the ball in the 32nd over, and he gave away 14 runs, including a six and a four.
Bahutule expressed confidence that Indian batsmen can help the team by bowling when needed.
“I believe our batters can also bowl well. They mainly focus on batting, so they don’t spend much time on bowling, but they do have the ability,” Bahutule mentioned during the post-match discussion.
“The more they practice, the better they’ll get. Whenever they get a chance, like we saw in the T20 matches, Rinku and Suryakumar helped India win. Similarly, Shubman Gill was given a chance, and in the future, we’ll see more all-rounders playing.
“Having a top player who can also bowl is really helpful for the team. As we move forward, we’ll see more players contributing in different ways. I think we can adjust our bowlers based on the situation and the pitch. A batter who can also bowl can be a surprise for the other team. So, there will be plenty of chances for batters to bowl in the future.”
Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav helped India win the third T20 cricket match against Sri Lanka. In a crucial moment, with Sri Lanka needing 9 runs from the last 12 balls, Rinku was chosen to bowl the second-to-last over. He took two wickets and only allowed three runs. Then, Suryakumar, the team captain, bowled the final over with Sri Lanka needing six runs to win. However, after 20 overs, both teams had scored 137 runs each, leading to a tie. India eventually won in a special extra round called the Super Over.
