Cricket World Cup, India vs Bangladesh: ‘I didn’t have to take singles. And he (Kohli) had to do most of the scoring’ | Cricket-world-cup News

KL Rahul has admitted that he and Virat Kohli turned down singles on purpose towards the end of India’s seven-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday so that the latter could reach his hundred.
With 15 needed for victory and Kohli requiring as many runs to complete his 48th ODI ton, it was decided the two batsmen in the middle that he would take almost all the strike and try to do all the scoring.
Rahul faced only a few balls towards the end and he revealed after India’s fourth consecutive win that it was all part of a plan. “Ya, I only got a couple of balls in the end so that I didn’t have to take singles. And he (Kohli) had to do most of the scoring,” he said.
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It was Kohli’s first hundred in the ongoing tournament – his third in the hory of the World Cup – and his consency and form left Rahul in awe.
“He has been notching up the numbers for years now. That’s what he did today. He got the opportunity and finished the game for us. Getting a hundred is always very special, really happy for him. Rohit has got a hundred now, Virat has got a hundred, so hopefully as the World Cup goes ahead, few of us get hundreds and keep winning matches,” Rahul, who had narrowly missed a century in India’s first match against Australia, said.

He had a successful day behind the stumps as well, taking a one-handed stunner to depart Mehidy Hasan Miraz as India bounced back in the game after the Bangladesh openers had given them a brisk start.
“Good day in the field overall. I did my job, everyone else did their job, good day for us as a fielding unit. Some really good catches, some really good fielding as well. Big tick mark on that aspect of the game,” Rahul added.

The Indian squad has another wicketkeeper in the squad in Ishan Kishen, but the team management has continued to back and bank on Rahul for the role behind the stumps. He has also made the No.5 position his own and India looks stable at the moment.
Rahul explained that he has worked on his fitness and is happy that he has been able to do the job in the four games so far. India has batted second in all their games so far, and it’s their bowling unit that has brought them back into games during the middle overs. The team management has emphasised on cashing in on the middle overs as the game often tends to meander during the 30-40 overs stage.Most Read
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“For the middle order, the challenge is to hit boundaries in the middle overs. There are more fielders out compared to in the Powerplay. There are fewer gaps as well. In the Powerplay, there is a chance of more boundaries and singles are much harder in the first 10 overs. After that, we can rotate strike and it’s part of the game we worked on before the World Cup, kept it in mind and trained ourselves,” he informed.
Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah have made strong comebacks after their respective injuries and resultant surgeries, taking several months to recover. Rahul said he is happy to see Bumrah getting stronger and better.
“We are lucky to have him in our team and lucky that we don’t have to break our bats with his yorkers. To face him is very difficult at the end. We have faced him during the IPL as well. He is a top-quality bowler, really happy that his back is fit. We spent a lot of time at the NCA together for recovering and getting stronger,” Rahul added