Yusuf Pathan, a two-time World Cup champion, believes that Shardul Thakur should bowl at least two to three overs in the powerplay for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Notably, the cricketer has not bowled much in the current IPL 2023, as KKR has primarily employed him as an additional batter. Pathan desires this to alter, as Thakur demonstrated the ability to take wickets with the new ball during his time with CSK.
Pathan desires for him to concentrate more on his bowling and for KKR to utilize his experience, as the cricketer has performed well with the ball in Test and ODI cricket and thus deserves more opportunities for KKR in that role. Notably, he has taken four wickets in eight matches thus far, indicating that he has room for improvement.
“I wouldn’t say he should be used as a batter more often. If you perform well, you can score some crucial runs if a large number of wickets fall early on. However, he should bowl at least two to three overs during the powerplay. He can then return to the fight for the kill. He is an experienced bowler who has participated in both Tests and ODIs. Pathan stated to ESPNCricinfo, “I’d like to see him concentrate on his bowling and take some wickets.”
“KKR has utilized Shardul Thakur on several occasions, but he has proven to be quite costly,” Pathan explained. “In such a situation, no captain would want a bowler to complete four overs.” This may be the only explanation for why he has not bowled his entire quota of overs in the majority of games,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, against Rajasthan, captain Nitish Rana demonstrated confidence in Shardul during the powerplay, but the Mumbai-born cricketer conceded 14 runs. Overall, he conceded 18 runs in 1.1 overs, and it remains to be seen if the team management will continue to trust him with the ball, given that he has bowled at an economy rate of 11.12 this season.
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