Gavaskar’s stunning assertion on India’s lineup for the AFG series: “Bringing back Rohit, Kohli made little sense”

Following what was perhaps the longest T20I encounter ever played in Bengaluru a few days before, Team India defeated Afghanistan 3-0 in their penultimate Twenty20 match before the IPL and the T20 World Cup. For the first time since the T20 World Cup, senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their long-awaited 14-month hiatus during this series. Throughout the series, both players registered ducks at various times. Rohit, in particular, was out twice without scoring before making up ground in the last game.

While Kohli did not worry the scorers at his IPL home stadium, he did demonstrate his transformation as a T20 hitter in the second game in Indore, when he grabbed the start and hammered a 16-ball 29. With a T20 World Cup in less than five months, many questioned if the Indian team made the right decision in acquiring both Rohit and Kohli. Young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma were starting to establish themselves in the squad. But at some point in the series, both proved they could play together for what may be the last time in a T20 World Cup for the squad.

The famous Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar, however, felt that Rohit and Kohli’s return made very little sense and was thus not delighted with it.

In his Sportstar column, Gavaskar said, “It seemed inane to bring back Rohit Sharma and Kohli for the three-match series against Afghanistan, and the way the captain got out to the first ball he faced in the second game made one wonder if he is even interested in being out there.”

“It was anticipated that Rohit would try to score some runs in the second game after being run out for a duck in the first. As an alternative, he returned to the changing room to warm the chilly bench after making a forgettable shot on the first ball he faced, he said. In the decisive match, Kohli was also out due to a rising ball as he attempted to attack while advancing down the track. But that was not to be. However, Rohit gave the spectators their money’s worth, smashing a 61 off 69 balls to help India reach 212, which proved plenty even after a few extra overs.