Rohit Sharma says that under Kieron Pollard’s captaincy, the West Indies are a team different altogether.
India’s limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma was all praise for Kieron Pollard, West Indies’ new captain. He said that under his leadership, ‘they look more threatening and formidable’. His praise wasn’t just all show; the two had played together in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians for nine long years.
Pollard has taken over the mantle as the West Indies’ captain from Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite in both ODIs and T20Is. He also did well in leading his team to a 3-0 victory against Afghanistan in an ODI. In T20Is, they lost the series 1-2 despite drawing first blood.
Rohit said Pollard was able to improve his leadership skills in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. ‘I know Pollard really well and he has a great knowledge about the game. I know as a leader what he would be expecting from the team. Under his leadership, it is a different team that we are seeing now, so yes, we have to be at our best when we play them’, he said in an interview.
‘He is a very smart player, smart thinker and he has been the captain of the team. When it comes to the Mumbai Indians, he has always been part of the leadership group and last year when I wasn’t available for one game, he captained MI. So, he has always been part of the leadership group and I know how he thinks’.
As for India, they are having a difficult time fielding the ball which ultimately cost them the match in Thiruvananthapuram. Rohit then added that the West Indies is a very unpredictable team. He said Pollard’s team did very well even in Hyderabad despite India winning that match.
‘But with West Indies, this is always expected and they play well as a team… We have got to stick to our plans, back it and execute it in the middle. Last game we made some mistakes on the field, whether it was with the bat, ball and also on the field. We know where we lacked as a team so we just need to tighten up in those areas and make sure that those mistakes are not repeated again and again’.
India will face the West Indies in their final T20 game of the three-match series. The winner of this match will decide the ultimate winner of the series. They will then face the same opponent in three ODIs starting December 15. To find out more about India’s upcoming matches, visit Betwala’s page.
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