Former India captain and former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly backed skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli taking a break from white-ball leg of the South Africa tour and said that they should be in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad.
The BCCI stated on Thursday that Kohli and Rohit have been granted a sabbatical from the white-ball phase of the South Africa tour, but will return and play in the red ball format.
Despite a handful of international games and the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, Kohli and Rohit have emerged as the center of attention once again as India prepares for the T20 World Cup next year. It's been over a year since the two last played a T20I for the national team.
Rohit and Kohli last appeared in a T20I for India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, when India lost to England in the semi-final at the Adelaide Oval.
With the 2024 T20I World Cup approaching, Ganguly was questioned if Rohit and Kohli fit in cricket's shortest format. He stated both players were in fantastic form in the just finished 2023 ODI World Cup and the opener and they both "absolutely fit in the T20I format."
"They absolutely fit in the T20I format. You saw in the World Cup how well Virat Kohli has played. you saw how Rohit Sharma played in the World Cup. They are absolutely integral and an important part of Indian cricket. World Cup is different from bilateral because the pressure is different. I think they both were exceptional in this World Cup. Hopefully in 6 to 7 months down the line in the West Indies they will be again at their best," Ganguly said in an event on Friday in Kolkata.
Kohli made 765 runs in 11 matches with 3 centuries and 6 fifties, breaking the previous record held for most runs in one CWC edition by Sachin Tendulkar (673 in 2003). He also completed his historic 50th ODI ton.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma ended the 2023 WC as the second leading run-scorer with 597 runs in 11 innings with one century and three fifties to his name.
"Very rightfully they have taken the break because there is so much cricket all the time. I cannot imagine there was a WC final on November 19 and in three days, you are playing a T20I series against the same team. It is not easy to pick yourself up, especially with the pressure and demands of the World Cup. I am happy they got a break. They will come back fresh for Test cricket. Then there are 5 Tests against England and then IPL and World Cup. So, it is non-stop cricket. Hopefully, they will come back fresh and keep performing," Ganguly added.
Suryakumar Yadav will captain the Indian team in South Africa T20Is with Ravindra Jadeja as his deputy. KL Rahul will captain the side in three ODIs, while Rohit and Kohli will return for the two Tests.
(ANI inputs)
