Saba Karim, a former Indian cricketer and selector, believes that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's inclusion in the T20I squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan is a clear sign that they are part of India's plans for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
After leading Team India to a 1-1 draw in Test series in South Africa, Rohit is set to return as India’s T20I captain with the series against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli will also be making a comeback to the T20I setup. Both batters last played a T20I in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
According to Karim, Hardik Pandya's injury concerns forced the BCCI and the national selectors to retain Rohit as T20I captain, keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024.
He also believes that the Indian selectors' decision to call back Rohit and Kohli indicates a shift in their thinking, moving away from experimenting with youngsters in T20I cricket.
Saba Karim told Sports18: “There is no doubt now. Now that you have included both of these players against Afghanistan, it means there has been a massive change in the selectors' thinking. They feel they need experience for the World Cup. That's why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made a comeback.”
Karim also talked about why Rohit Sharma was named captain, saying that Hardik Pandya's injury-prone nature has led to selectors going back to a stable and successful captain in the Mumbai batter.
He added, “There is another thing. Until now, the selectors had shown faith in Hardik Pandya as a captain, but questions are being raised because of Hardik Pandya's injury. That's why the selectors have gone back to Rohit Sharma to bring stability, both as a captain and a batter.”
Hardik Pandya has been out of action since injuring his ankle in the World Cup in November. Suryakumar Yadav, who captained the side in Pandya's absence, has also injured his ankle and has suffered a sports hernia and will miss quite some time.
(With Sports18 Inputs)
