As the Indian team plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 which is to be played in West Indies and USA in June this year, a lot of decisions are to be made and players shortlisted to be monitored.
One of the biggest questions is whether senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in the plans of BCCI selectors for the T20 World Cup 2024 or not. Both have not played any T20I since the semi-final loss to England in T20 World Cup 2022.
Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav have captained the side in Rohit’s absence, while Kohli focused on ODIs in 2023 as he was prepping for the ICC World Cup.
But as per PTI reports, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar is likely to be in Cape Town for the second and final Test between India and South Africa at the Newlands. He is most likely to speak with head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma.
Agarkar is also expected to talk to Rohit and senior batter Virat Kohli to sort out their future in T20 cricket before the selection panel announces the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan at home.
Reports in the past have claimed, the team management is keen on looking beyond the star duo in T20Is.
India is set to play three T20Is against Afghanistan in what will be their final international assignment in the shortest format before the T20 World Cup 2024.
However, PTI reported that both Rohit and Kohli are keen on playing for India in the T20 World Cup 2024 and Agarkar will be soon joining national selectors Shiv Sunder Das and Salil Ankola, who are already in South Africa during the 2nd Test in Cape Town. Agarkar is likely to hold conversations with Rohit and Kohli about their future.
The report also stated that the selectors will be monitoring around 30 players including IPL stars and T20 specialists during the IPL 2024 season. It remains to be seen who will captain India in the Afghanistan T20I series with Suryakumar Yadav out injured and Hardik Pandya yet to fully recover from his ankle injury.
“Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya aren’t fit. The Afghanistan series won’t tell you anything. Everything will be decided based on the first month of IPL,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI.
With the IPL 2024 likely to end in the last week of May, and the T20 World Cup 2024 set to get underway from June 04, it will be essential for the team management to keep backups ready for every position.
(PTI inputs)
