Why Were Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Called Back Into the Indian T20I Squad? An Ex-Selectionist Describes
Even though Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the two Indian hitters with the most T20I caps, it became clear that the selectors had moved on from the two mainstays when they failed to play in the format for their country after the 2022 World Cup.
What other explanation is there for their over 14-month hiatus from T20Is?
Not that the two have given up on T20 cricket entirely. They continue to be an essential component of their individual IPL teams.
One possible reason is that India tried a number of young players for T20Is with an eye toward the future, keeping Rohit and Kohli fresh for the longer forms while the ODI World Cup was last year’s major focus along with workload management.
With just a few months left before the World Cup, they have returned to the India T20I lineup. Additionally, Saba Karim, a former member of the BCCI selection panel, has a notion as to why the team management decided to focus once again on the two mainstays.
Karim believes that in the Indian team for the June T20 World Cup, the selectors are looking for experience.
“Now, there is no question. The fact that both of these players are now picked versus Afghanistan indicates a significant shift in the selectors’ perspectives. For the World Cup, they believe they need experience. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have returned because of this, Karim said on Sports18.
Karim went on to say that the selectors may have also recalled Rohit and Kohli because to fitness concerns over de facto T20I skipper Hardik Pandya.
“There’s more than that. The selectors have up till now demonstrated confidence in Hardik Pandya as a captain, but his injury is causing some people to have doubts. In order to provide consistency as a captain and a batter, the selectors have turned back to Rohit Sharma for that reason, according to Karim.
In the three-match series against Afghanistan that begins on January 11, Rohit will captain India’s 16-man team.
