As per report, Virat Kohli is not the first-choice for T20 World Cup 2024, anymore. With the T20 World Cup set to be play in June 2024, the discussion has quickly shift from ODIs to T20Is.
In a meeting with captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, held in New Delhi, the BCCI top officials prepare a roadmap for the upcoming big event in the West Indies and the USA.
India have only six T20Is, three in South Africa and three against Afghanistan at home before finalising the squad for the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah have request for breaks from the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour.
Means only three T20Is against Afghanistan for the selectors to check the full-strength squad.
As per report, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah are automatic choices in the playing XI, Virat Kohli’s spot in the T20 World Cup squad is not guaranteed.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, vice president Rajeev Shukla and treasurer Ashish Shelar and the selectors present in the meeting inform Rohit Sharma that they want him to lead the Indian side in the T20 World Cup.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not play in T20 format since the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 held in Australia.
But after the kind of performance, 597 runs at a strike rate of 125, Rohit Sharma put in at the top of the order in the ODI World Cup at home, the selectors want him to have one final crack at an ICC event.
A BCCI official present in the meeting said that the selectors and the BCCI want a player who can play attacking cricket from the word go.
Ishan Kishan right now appears to be the frontrunner to go the No.3 spot.
As Ishan Kishan play a couple of good knocks batting at that position in the home series against Australia.
Virat Kohli, who is the world’s leading run-scorer in T20Is and the only one with more than 1000 international runs in the format at an average of over 50 will obviously be consider if he has a good IPL 2024.
But Virat Kohli generally opens for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and right now the opening slots in the Indian T20I side are full, as per the official.
Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill is likely to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order while the other will be kept in the squad as a backup opener.
If Ishan Kishan is for No.3 then the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja fill in the remaining slots in the batting order.
The official said the selectors and other senior members of the BCCI will have a discussion with Virat Kohli soon regarding his plans for the T20Is.
There may not be any doubt if Virat Kohli himself informs the BCCI that is not interest in playing the shortest format.
The 35-year-old will return to the Indian side for the two-match Test series against South Africa starting 26th December 2023.
