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Sunil Gavaskar expressed curiosity about whether Virat Kohli would participate in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Given that Kohli has opted out of the current Test series against England citing personal reasons, the cricket legend pondered over the star player's availability for the IPL. The 24th season of the IPL is set to kick off with the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, facing Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22 at Chepauk. Although initially selected for the Indian Test squad, the key player from RCB withdrew before the series opener in Hyderabad. Earlier in the month, Kohli and his wife, Anushka Sharma, shared the news of the arrival of their second child.
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"Kya woh khelenge... kuchh reason ke liye khel nahin rahe hain, shaayad ho sakta hai ke IPL ke liye bhi na khele (Will he play... He is not playing because of some reason, perhaps he may not play in IPL as well)," Gavaskar said when questioned about Kohli's eagerness to score runs in the IPL following his break from cricket.
Gavaskar said it during an interaction with students at the Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi, during an event.
Jurel could be next superstar: Gavaskar
Gavaskar mentioned that Dhruv Jurel, the wicketkeeper-batsman for Rajasthan Royals, has the potential to emerge as the superstar of this IPL season.
In just his second Test appearance, Jurel was named Man of the Match for his outstanding contributions of 90 and an unbeaten 39, leading India to a series-sealing five-wicket victory against England.
"He could be promoted up the order. Jurel could be the superstar after this performance in the Test matches. Even Akash Deep could get more exposure in RCB and play the role of the death over specialist which they were missing last season."
Gavaskar also backed the decision by Mumbai Indians (MI) to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain, allowing Rohit Sharma to focus on his batting without the burden of leadership responsibilities.
“To allow Rohit to play purely as a batter... it has been a busy season for him, first the World Cup, and now this series. This will give him the freedom to play without worrying about other players. My feeling is that it will work very well for Mumbai Indians. For Hardik to have someone like Rohit to turn to would be invaluable. Hardik will enjoy having Rohit as 'captain'.”
Gavaskar thrilled about Rishabh Pant's return
Gavaskar is also thrilled about the return of his favorite player, Rishabh Pant, to the game after recovering from a near-fatal car accident.
“I'm also a big fan of him. For me the most important thing, is he should be healthy like before, so that he can come and entertain us. It will be very difficult for him and it will take some time for him to get that batting fluency. But good that he has started training,” Gavaskar added.
"Knee plays a pivotal role in batting as well as keeping -- which of course he may not do initially. Maybe he won't be the usual Rishabh Pant that we are used to seeing. He certainly has the ability to think on his feet. If he gets back to full fitness, the reins of (Delhi Capitals) captaincy should be handed over to him. Let's stay hopeful. This season is first of him coming back to full fitness. Let's not rush him into doing something that there will be a setback," he concluded.
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