Ajinkya Rahane Backs Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar Despite Poor Form in New Zealand T20 Series

Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane has defended pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar following his poor performance in the ongoing T20 series against New Zealand, stating that players should not be written off based on a few bad matches. In the first three games, Bhuvneshwar gave away 139 runs and managed to take only one wicket, struggling to find his rhythm despite showing glimpses of his swing with the new ball. Rahane stated on his YouTube channel that the seasoned bowler knows where he needs to improve and could easily take five wickets in his next outing to change the narrative.

Team Performance

India has already claimed the five-match series with a 3-0 unassailable lead with two games remaining. In the third T20 match played in Wellington, India chased down a target of 199 runs in just 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma scored a rapid 113 runs, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi added 45 runs, putting up 118 runs together during the powerplay alone. Meanwhile, Rahane also praised left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh for his good form, noting that Arshdeep has played over 100 T20 international matches and is nearing the milestone of 150 wickets.

Context

Athletes often face intense public scrutiny during lean patches, making support from senior peers notable in professional sport. The fourth T20 international between India and New Zealand is scheduled for Friday in Auckland, giving the team a chance to test their squad further.