Former South African cricket captain AB de Villiers has praised India’s head coach Rahul Dravid for his decision to rest senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023. De Villiers called this move “an absolute genius move” and commended Dravid for prioritizing the players’ mental and physical freshness for the upcoming World Cup.
India rested key players during their ODI series against Australia, with Pandya sitting out the entire series and Kohli and Sharma taking breaks during the first two matches. Bumrah was also not included in the playing XI for the second ODI. Despite these absences, India managed to secure back-to-back wins against Australia in the series.
De Villiers said
De Villiers emphasized the importance of senior players being mentally fresh and highlighted that the rest period would allow them to recharge and return to the team with renewed energy. He applauded India’s achievements in reaching the No. 1 ranking across all formats under Rahul Dravid’s coaching, mentioning how Dravid had faced criticism in the past but had ultimately guided the team to an exceptional position.
“Rohit, Virat, Hardik, and Bumrah were rested. The senior players possibly need some energy for the World Cup, and that’s maybe the thinking behind it. I really enjoy that. They are No. 1 in the world at the moment. They’ve been playing really good cricket and a lot of cricket. This is the ideal time to let them rest. They’ve played enough cricket leading up to this. There will be some warm-up games as well”.
Rohit, Virat, Hardik, and Bumrah were rested. The senior players possibly need some energy for the World Cup, and that’s maybe the thinking behind it. I really enjoy that. They are No. 1 in the world at the moment. They’ve been playing really good cricket and a lot of cricket. This is the ideal time to let them rest. They’ve played enough cricket leading up to this. There will be some warm-up games as well.
“This will ultimately give guys like Rohit, Virat, Hardik, and Bumrah the opportunity to connect with their families to build that energy to make sure that when they join that team, they come in with a bang. It is crucial for your senior players to be mentally fresh. I think Rahul Dravid resting them at times leading up to this World Cup is an absolute genius move. A lot of people will say it’s complacent. I say it’s genius.”
India’s rise to the No. 1 spot in ICC rankings across all formats is a remarkable achievement, and De Villiers credited both Team India and coach Rahul Dravid for this success.
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