Senior Indian batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma made their T20I comeback in the recent three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, aiming for a spot in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
The Indian skipper Rohit, who faced early setbacks with two ducks against Afghanistan, redeemed himself with a record-breaking century in the third and final T20I in Bengaluru.
On the other hand, Kohli scored 29 in the second match in Indore, but the former Indian skipper got out for a duck in the third game against Afghanistan. Despite not scoring big, Kohli's 'intent' impressed Rohit, as the skipper emphasized the importance of Virat and Sanju Samson's intent.
Rohit Sharma said in a chat on Jio Cinema: “We only need to give the players clarity to the players about their position and the manner of cricket we want them to play with. The boys know what to expect when they come out onto the ground.”
He added, “As you saw today, Kohli tried to go hard from the word go, he normally does not do that, but he showed the intent. Same with Samson, he was out first ball, but the intent was there.”
Speaking about the ODI World Cup 2023 final loss and the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, the opener noted: “See, I don't want to think about that right now. The 50-over World Cup is the ultimate prize for me, it's not like I don't regard the T20 World Cup and the Test Championship as important events.”
Rohit signed off by saying, “I grew up watching the ODI World Cup, and when it happens in India, the vibe is unmatched. We tried our best, but unfortunately, we could not win. The entire team was upset, and I am sure the people were quite angry as well. But now, we have an opportunity to win the T20 World Cup, and hopefully we win it.”
(With NDTV Inputs)
