Earlier this week, the BCCI announced Team India’s 16-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, starting on January 11 in Mohali.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s inclusion was the highlight of the squad. The two batting stalwarts returned to the T20I fold for the first time since November 2022. Last year, they focused on the 50-over format with the Cricket World Cup taking precedence.
Rohit and Kohli’s comeback in the shortest format also sparked discussions about their potential selection for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be held in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to June 29.
Amid the debate over their T20 World Cup selection, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar backed both of them to make the cut, citing that their experience will be crucial in the showpiece tournament.
"I feel the IPL form will be crucial because that will be the current form. The Afghanistan series is in January. The World Cup is in June. So whoever has good form in March, April and May should be given consideration first, that performance should be given consideration. Along with that, I will also say that even if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have an ordinary IPL, but they score runs there, you cannot score runs in every match, but suppose they make good contributions in five out of 14 matches, you will have to take advantage of their experience, and you can probably pick them in the team," Gavaskar said while speaking to Star Sports.
“I will also say that, it's an out-of-the-box suggestion, you can take them along with the team as well, if you cannot pick them in the 14 (15), because of their experience. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in the dugout, imagine what will be the team's confidence,” he added.
Kohli will miss the first T20I against Afghanistan due to "personal reasons", head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed on the eve of the match.
Dravid also said that Rohit will open along with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the run-up to the T20 World Cup 2024.
“As of now, we will be opening with Rohit and Jaiswal. When you have a squad that offers flexibility, we can take a call that is in the best interest of the team. We are certainly happy with what Jaiswal has done for us as an opener. It also gives us the left-right combination at the top,” Dravid said in the pre-match presser.
(With PTI Inputs)
