’Time for new players’: Ravi Bishnoi rubbishes Rohit-Virat comparisons after loss against Zimbabwe

A young India team led by skipper Shubman Gill suffered a major setback against Zimbabwe on Saturday as the Sikandar Raza-led side defeated them by 13 runs. Against a backdrop of the retirement of many senior cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, the defeat has left a sour taste in the mouths of Indian cricket fans who were overjoyed by the T20 World Cup victory earlier this month.

Soon after the defeat, comparisons were made between the youngsters and the seniors, with many on social media even suggesting that the veterans should take a break from retirement.

However, Indian leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi came out harshly against comparions with Rohit, Virat and Jadeja. In a post-match presentation, Bishnoi said, “It’s time for new players. The senior players are retired and handed over the mantle to us. It’s our responsibility to take the flight ahead.”

Bishnoi also praised Shubman's captaincy while noting that the young skipper's bowling changes were spot on which is a good sign.

“Shubman’s captaincy is very good. His bowling changes were spot on, it’s a sign of good captaincy, We just need to come back tomorrow (Sunday) with a fresh mind for the second match,” said Bishnoi in the post-match press meet." Bishnoi added.

Zimbabwe defeat India by 13 runs:

In a closely contested encounter on Saturday, Zimbabwe batted first and posted 115/9 from their quota of 20 overs. In reply, the Indian batsmen, with the exception of Shubman Gill (31), Washington Sundar (27) and Avesh Khan (16), couldn't even get into double figures. The good news for the Men in Blue is that they won't have time to dwell on the defeat as they take on Zimbabwe in the second T20I today. Moreover, there will be a new opportunity for Zimbabwe to improve their lead in the series.