'His Fielding Level Has Got To Go Up': Bishop Criticises Sundar After Kohli's Catch Drop

'His fielding level has got to go up': Bishop criticises Sundar after Kohli's catch drop (Image Source: IANS)

Former West Indies: Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop expressed concern over Washington Sundar’s fielding standards after the all-rounder dropped a crucial catch of Virat Kohli during the clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, a moment that proved decisive in the outcome of the match.

After being put in to bat, Gujarat Titans posted a competitive 205/3, but a crucial moment unfolded in the very first over of RCB’s chase when Kohli was dropped on zero by Washington Sundar off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj. The missed opportunity proved decisive as Kohli went on to anchor the chase with a brilliant 81 off 44 balls, guiding the defending champions towards victory.

“No, I see that differently. Yeah. We've all dropped catches. Sure. You don't pick and choose which ones you drop. Okay. Right?” Bishop told ESPNCricinfo.

Bishop, however, emphasised the need for improvement from Sundar in the field, stating that the youngster has a lot of time left and should focus on his fitness to be more useful for the team.

“But what I would, I would ask Washy, Washington Sundar, your level of fielding has got to go up. I think Washy is not; he's a young guy. He's athletic enough,” he said.

“And for too long, I'm seeing missed opportunities with him. So I would ask him to put a little bit more work into that. So he becomes an asset in the field, in addition to all the other things,” Bishop added.

Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn also weighed in on the costly dropped catch, stressing that certain chances in cricket simply cannot be missed, especially when it involves a batter of Virat Kohli’s calibre. Steyn highlighted that while dropped catches are part of the game, there are moments that demand absolute precision, and this was one of them.

“And for too long, I'm seeing missed opportunities with him. So I would ask him to put a little bit more work into that. So he becomes an asset in the field, in addition to all the other things,” Bishop added.

“That catch. Actually, it doesn't matter who it is. You just can't drop that. That's 10 out of 10; you should be taking it. I mean, the cricketers, there are those you drop. There are those you just can't drop,” he added.

Article Source: IANS