Former BCCI Selector Provides Insights on Kohli and Rohit’s Return to T20I Cricket
11th January 2024The notable development in Indian cricket this Thursday is the return of Rohit Sharma to T20I cricket. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been included in the T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, marking the final T20I series for the Indian cricket team before the 2024 T20 World Cup. While Virat Kohli won’t participate in the first T20I against Afghanistan, Rohit Sharma is set to play. Former Chief of Selectors MSK Prasad shared his thoughts on fielding the best possible team against Afghanistan in a conversation with Star Sports.
Prasad stated, “I would definitely prefer to have the best possible team. The reason is that these are the only three T20s that are left before we get into the IPL and get into an actual T20 format. But for the injured players, I think I would definitely have our main players playing in this T20. Let’s not forget that Afghanistan is a very competitive side and will do whatever possible.”
Commenting on the inclusion of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the squad, Prasad explained, “I do understand that Rohit and Virat were given a bit of rest after the South Africa tour. I think that was needed, after a mega event like the ODI World Cup. They needed that kind of a break. So fortunately, they have had a healthy break and have done reasonably well, the youngsters. See, my opinion is there’s absolutely no doubt that Virat and Rohit will be a part of the T20 World Cup, so they should start playing right from this series.”
He continued, “The question arises, why didn’t they play after the last T20 World Cup. The reason they didn’t play is we were heading towards an ODI World Cup, so we predominantly wanted to focus on ODIs. That’s the reason they offered other youngsters who were maybe thinking towards the T20 World Cup. So that’s a wonderful thing from both of them, and even the selectors and team management have got it right. Because if we are heading towards the ODI World Cup, it is better to focus on the ODIs, and we had the WTC also. So they were focusing on test cricket and ODI cricket. Now that we are heading towards a T20, they should be back to action.”
Regarding potential players for the final T20 World Cup squad, Prasad mentioned key players like Virat, Rohit, Shami, Bumrah, Siraj, Jadeja, and Hardik. He also highlighted the significance of IPL form for players like Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill in securing their spots. The upcoming IPL performances will play a crucial role in determining the final squad composition.
