Rohit Sharma’s response to ‘Virat Kohli’ question: ‘Jadeja also not playing, you did not inquire about him?’
The ICC World Cup in 2023 is less than two months away, and Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, is struggling with experiments in the Caribbean. The Rahul Dravid-coached team is actively recruiting young players and fringe players for their white-ball portion of the trip while keeping an eye on the greater picture. In the ODI series finale against the West Indies, India decided to rest captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
The whole five-match T20I series is played sans Kohli and Rohit for the Men in Blue. India’s skipper Rohit attended a La Liga event where the seasoned batsman talked extensively about the 2018 World Cup when India was playing the West Indies in a T20I series. Prior to the Asia Cup and World Cup, the Indian captain acknowledged that Team India’s No. 4 position is a problem.
Rohit stressed the need of giving India’s seasoned players a break in bilateral series in preparation for the World Cup during the special discussion. Rohit made a remarkable comment in response to a question regarding India fielding a reserve team against the West Indies to explain the absence of seasoned batsmen (him and Kohli) from the T20I series.
Jadeja does not participate in Twenty20; why didn’t you inquire about him?
“We did the same thing last year as well; the T20 World Cup was on, so we skipped one-day cricket. Now that the ODI World Cup has begun, we are proceeding in the same manner and skipping the T20 format. You cannot prepare for the World Cup while playing every position. We made this decision two years ago. (Ravindra) Jadeja does not participate in T20; why didn’t you inquire about him? I am aware of the attention (on Virat and himself). But Jadeja is also out, Rohit said in response to a question about why Kohli and he weren’t chosen for India’s most recent T20I assignments.
“I have never captured the ODI World Cup.”
Since the 2022 World Cup semifinal against England, run-machine Kohli and captain Rohit have not appeared in a T20 International for India. The 36-year-old also acknowledged that his team is ‘desperate’ for the 2018 World Cup to have the opportunity to break India’s ICC trophy drought. India last claimed an ICC championship in 2013. India won the 50-over competition the previous time the Asian giants hosted it in 2011.
“To be quite honest, I’ve never taken home a (50 overs) World Cup. Winning one is a goal of mine, so being here and competing for it makes me happier than anything else. “You don’t get World Cups on a platter, you have to really work hard and that is what we have been doing all these years from 2011 till now, we are all fighting for it,” Rohit remarked.
