Former India head coach Ravi Shastri wants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to make way for the young talent in T20Is ahead of the next T20 World Cup. Several youngsters have shone in the ongoing IPL 2023 and are knocking on the doors of India selection with their stupendous performances.
With the next T20 World Cup one year away, Shastri feels that if both Rohit and Kohli don’t rule themselves out of T20Is then their form should be taken into consideration before naming them in the World Cup squad. Talking about the star batters the former head coach compared them with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
“Virat and Rohit are right where Sachin, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav and Laxman were. So, you know there is a template before you. If Virat and Rohit do not rule themselves out of T20, then it is up to form, one year is a long time. You will pick the best guys at that time, and then of course experience will also count, fitness will count,” Shastri was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Shastri further suggested that both stalwarts of Indian cricket should focus on Tests and ODIs for now and give the youngsters much-needed international experience in T20Is.
“Players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in the direction of blooding the young players right now so that they get the opportunities and exposure, whilst you keep the likes of Virat and Rohit fresh for ODI cricket and Test cricket. The youngsters will break the door down, the way they are playing with that kind of self-confidence and authority. The very first T20 series that comes up now, just play these people, expose these guys,” he added.
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Notably, both Rohit and Kohli have not played a single T20I after T20 World Cup 2022. While Kohli had a great time in the World Cup finishing as the highest run scorer of the tournament with 296 runs to his name, Rohit didn’t have the best of outings as he could only amass 116 runs across six innings at an average of 19.33.
Hence, with youngsters taking the IPL by storm in this edition, there have been widespread talks of bringing them straight into the Indian team ahead of the next T20 World Cup. It will be interesting to see what the selection committee does about it much of it will be dependent on India’s performance in the marquee tournaments this year namely the WTC final and the upcoming ODI World Cup.