The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Langer wants LSG’s national hopefuls to stay in the present
Final, Sony Sports Ten 1 (SD & HD) & LIV, 6.30 p.m. India vs. Afghanistan,
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Kerala’s Nayana James recorded a personal best mark, leaping 6.67m to secure the women’s long jump gold at the 3rd Indian Open Jumps Competition held at the Anju Bobby George Foundation here on Wednesday.
On a day when no athlete threatened the 2024
If KL Rahul leads Lucknow Super Giants to its maiden IPL title, he will automatically be rewarded with a spot in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup, reckons head coach Justin Langer, who wants his team’s national hopefuls to “concentrate” on doing well for the franchise first.
Rahul, who is coming back from a quadriceps injury and is not expected to keep wickets at the beginning of the IPL, is still not a certainty in the Indian T20 squad and only a good IPL with both the bat and gloves can seal the deal for him.
Asked how he would balance his skipper’s personal ambition with the team’s interests, Langer said it isn’t all that complicated.
“If the team does well, everyone gets rewarded. If KL can captain LSG to IPL title, that means he would have captained well, batted well and kept wickets well,” Langer replied to a query during a seasonopening media interaction on Wednesday.
“The message for players, like KL or Bishi (Bishnoi) will be that more they concentrate on playing well for LSG, their chances (of WT20 callup) will increase.”
With foreign recruits Mark Wood and David Willey ruled out of the tournament, the pace bowling unit looks thin on experience.
“It is a very good observation that we lack some experience in pace department but there is enormous talent.
“The pacers —they all look fit, healthy and hungry.
“We need to manage them well not just at start but through the whole tournament. Among pacers Naveen (ul Haq) has played a lot of T20 cricket,” he said.
Apart from Naveen, the other overseas fast bowler is Shamar Joseph, the West Indies sensation.