Since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup 2023, the talk of the town has been the future of Indian captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli in T20Is. Six months remain until the T20 World Cup 2024, raising many questions over whether the two will play in the major tournament or if the team management will put their young players in to break India’s ICC title drought of ten years.
In a recent meeting with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) in Delhi, where they selected the team for the South Africa tour and discussed India’s performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma reportedly discussed his T20I future. According to reports, Rohit asked the selectors whether they wanted him to play in the USA and the West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma joined the meeting via Zoom call from London.
In a report published in Dainik Jagran, it was stated that selectors, head coach Rahul Dravid, secretary Jay Shah, vice president Rajeev Shukla, and treasurer Ashish Shelar all agreed that Rohit is the best person to captain India in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup.
They even demanded that starting with the South Africa tour, the captain lead the Twenty20 international team. But after an exhausting World Cup campaign, he asked for a vacation from the white-ball portion of the tour. He will be back to captain the team in a two-match Test series.
Because of doubts about Hardik Pandya’s fitness, BCCI decided to play Rohit in T20Is.
Notably, since India’s devastating ten-wicket defeat to England in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final, Rohit and Kohli have not participated in a Twenty20 international match. Since then, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been captaining the team in his absence. Selectors chose Rohit to take the lead because Pandya’s participation for the T20 World Cup 2024 is uncertain due to his ankle injury sustained in the ODI World Cup 2023.
Pandya will allegedly undergo a unique 18-week programme designed by the BCCI and the NCA to prepare him for the World Cup. With just six T20Is remaining before the T20 mega event, India will be keen to decide on their playing lineup for the grand event in the final two series.
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