With the T20 World Cup 2024 fast approaching, plans within the Indian team have reportedly changed as to which players are seen as first-choice in the playing XI. One of the names who is no longer a first-choice pick in the India XI is that of Virat Kohli.
Notably, Virat Kohli had top-scored in the last T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia and was the highest run-getter and Player of the tournament in ICC World Cup 2023.
With the T20 World Cup 2024 in mind, a Dainik Jagran report stated that captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar held a five-hour-long meeting in Delhi to prepare a roadmap for the upcoming big event in the West Indies and the USA.
India had only six T20Is - three in South Africa and three against Afghanistan at home - before finalizing the squad for the T20 World Cup. Kohli, Rohit, and Jasprit Bumrah have requested for breaks from the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. That leaves only three T20Is against Afghanistan to see a full-strength squad in action.
Rohit has been told by selectors and BCCI officials that they want him to captain India in T20 World Cup 2024. And after the kind of performances he had in recent CWC 2023, BCCI wants him to have one final crack at an ICC event.
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However, coming to Virat Kohli, despite scoring 765 runs with 9 scores of over fifty, he is reportedly not the first choice for the no.3 position in India's playing XI.
As per Dainik Jagran's report, the selectors and board want a player who can play attacking cricket from the word go. Ishan Kishan right now appears to be the frontrunner to grab the No.3 spot.
Kohli, the highest run-getter in T20Is with 4008 runs, will still be considered for the T20 World Cup 2024 if he has a very good IPL 2024. However, for RCB, Kohli opens the innings, and all slots for openers in the Indian team are filled.
Either Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill is likely to partner Rohit at the top of the order while the other will be kept in the squad as a backup opener. If Kishan comes in at no.3, then Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja fill in the remaining slots in the batting order.
But the BCCI official said that selectors and other senior members of the board will have a discussion with Kohli soon regarding his plans for the T20Is.
