After Jos Buttler suffered an injury to the little finger of his left hand in the eighth match of IPL 2023, the cricketer didn’t come out to open the innings as Ravichandran Ashwin got a promotion. Looking at this, former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was very much surprised as he expected Devdutt Padikkal to open alongside youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“I was surprised to see Ravichandran Ashwin open the batting. I had expected Padikkal to open, but they went with Ashwin. The result might have been different if Padikkal had opened the innings because he has been playing the new ball for several years now. His numbers are far better as an opener compared to No. 4,” Pathan was quoted as saying by India Today.
“RR could have used Ashwin after ten overs once the ball got a bit older. He is a good cricketer and can play some shots. He would have been better suited to that position. Facing the new ball isn’t easy, and it is always better to have an opener who has some experience,” Pathan added.
Prabhsimran Singh deserves to be appreciated: Yusuf Pathan
“Prabhsimran Singh deserves to be appreciated. The kinds of shots that he played and the way he stitched together a good opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan were very impressive,” said Pathan.
