‘Can’t see why Kohli or Rohit can’t play…’: Former India captain backs senior pros in India’s T20 setup

Since India’s 10-wicket defeat against England at the World T20 in Australia last year, the management has excluded Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the T20I setup. This exclusion was evident in the squad announced for the West Indies series earlier this week, where the duo was only included for the Tests and ODIs.

In Rohit’s absence, Hardik Pandya, who is considered a potential captain, will lead the side. Additionally, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma, who had an exceptional season in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), have been given an opportunity.

The decision to exclude the two senior players suggests that the management is aiming to transition the team for the shorter format, with the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024 in mind.

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When asked about his opinion on this matter, Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain and ex-BCCI president, believes that the best players should be selected for the squad regardless of their reputation. However, he also believes that both Rohit and Kohli can still be a part of the T20I setup.

“Pick your best players, it doesn’t matter who they are. In my opinion, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still have a place in T20I cricket and I cannot see why a Kohli or a Rohit cannot play T20I cricket. Kohli was in great form in the IPL, and both have place in T20 cricket, if you ask me,” Ganguly told Revsportz in an interview.

Interestingly, there has been no official announcement from either the board or the players regarding their future in T20I. While Rohit failed to meet expectations, Kohli had an impressive performance in this year’s IPL, finishing as the fourth-highest run-scorer with 639 runs in 14 matches.

When we consider Team India’s upcoming schedule, the tour will commence with the Tests, followed by the ODIs. Subsequently, a five-match T20I series will begin after the conclusion of both formats, with the first match scheduled for August 3.

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