‘Need to be realistic’- Deepak Hooda has his say on replacing Kohli as India’s No.3

Team India all-rounder Deepak Hooda talked in short about his role in the side ahead of the 3rd T20 international between the Men in Blue and New Zealand. 

Speaking to Prime Video Sports ahead of the match, Hooda shed light on how he sees himself as a batting all-rounder despite his bowling heroics (4 for 10) in the 2nd T20I against NZ. 

“I am a batting all-rounder, so scoring runs is important. But I’m working on my bowling as well and want to chip in whenever the team needs me”.

He has been practicing bowling in the last 3 months to add value to the package that he is and fulfill the all-rounder need haunting Team India, Deepak Hooda adds. 

Deepak Hooda calls Kohli a legend; says he can’t bat at Number 3

Rohtak-born Hooda was nowhere near the international team 10 months ago. However, IPL 2022 saw him get a serious role batting at No. 3 and four. 

The 27-year-old grabbed the chance offered by LSG with both hands and scored 451 runs (with 4 fifties). Hooda’s hitting abilities also saw a spike with him smacking more sixes (18) than Hardik, David Warner and Faf. 

Regardless, Deepak Hooda isn’t looking to bat at Number 3 for Team India. In fact, he admits a legend owns that position and it isn’t realistic to entertain the thought of replacing him. 

“I would like to bat at 5, we have a legend (Virat Kohli) playing at 3 and I have to be realistic. I can’t get that spot”, Hooda says to Prime. 

Notably, Deepak has fared better at 3 (1 hundred, avg. 49, strike-rate 167) than at 5 where his last two scores read naught (0). 

Expressing his views on the challenge of batting at Number 5 for Team India, Deepak Hooda says: 

“It is a problem at times to adapt to batting at 5 or 6. But I have done that role as I am a utility player and I need to play according to the situation of the game”.

Though Hooda has worked on his boundary-hitting prowess as I pointed out earlier, the right-hander likes to take a bit of time before unleashing– a thing not possible for a finisher. 

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The Indian batting line-up, moreover, is stacked, and with Hardik Pandya undroppable at 5, the present best case for Deepak Hooda remains filling in for the big guns if and when they’re injured or take rest.