Virat Kohli might be the highest run-scorer of the ODI World Cup 2023, but his spot in the India squad for the T20 World Cup in June is reportedly not secure.
According to Dainik Jagran, in a recent five-hour meeting involving captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, the think tank has chalked out a blueprint for the next marquee ICC event without Kohli in the mix.
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While Rohit and Jasprit Bumrah are considered automatic choices, Kohli's spot in the T20 World Cup squad is reportedly not guaranteed.
Despite Kohli's exceptional performance in the ODI World Cup, where he broke records, he is currently not the preferred choice at No.3 in T20Is. The selectors are looking for a player who can play attacking cricket from the start, with Ishan Kishan emerging as the frontrunner for the No.3 spot. Meanwhile, the opening slots are reportedly filled, with Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill likely to partner Rohit.
Whereas, in the middle order, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are set to fill in the next slots which leaves no room for Kohli.
However, the final decision will hinge on Kohli's performance in IPL 2024, and discussions with selectors are anticipated regarding his T20I plans shortly. There have been suggestions that Kohli himself might not prefer to play T20 internationals anymore which would further ease the job for the selectors.
Who should BCCI pick? Ishan Kishan or Virat Kohli?
Kishan, who played in the first three T20Is of the Australia series after the ICC World Cup 2023, was released from the team after the third match.
India were already without the big guns like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. Shreyas Iyer, who had played all 11 games in the World Cup, was flown in as Suryakumar's deputy for the final two encounters against Australia, as Kishan faced the axe, whereas, Jitesh Sharma replaced Kishan.
This decision shows that the BCCI remains open to chopping and changing the squad to find the right combination.
In the first T20I against Australia, Ishan Kishan played a crucial role, scoring 58 runs off 39 balls. His impressive knock was instrumental in helping India chase down the mammoth target of 209 runs. Kishan continued to showcase his batting prowess in the second match, contributing 52 runs off 32 balls, contributing to yet another victory for India. However, in the third match of the series, Kishan was dismissed for a duck. And then Sharma got the opportunity and he scored 35 and 24 runs in the next two contests.
The official version was that Kishan was rested for the final two T20Is. However, if the batsman is really in the final scheme of things was it prudent to have rested him? Especially, given the dearth of T20 matches in the build-up to the World Cup.
However, it might boil down to the Indian Premier League (IPL) form of the two batsmen. If Kohli fires on all cylinders for RCB in the IPL it will be tough for the selectors to ignore him.
Will Virat Kohli come back for the 2024 T20 World Cup?
Virat is among the best in the business. Gautam Gambhir thinks that they should be part of the squad flying to the West Indies and the USA later in 2024.
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should play in the ICC T20 World 2024. Don’t give captaincy to Hardik Pandya and play Rohit as a batter. Sharma is a very good leader. You need experience in the batting unit,” Gautam Gambhir said on Sportskeeda.
What is Virat Kohli's record in T20I?
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20Is | 115 | 107 | 31 | 4008 | 122* | 52.73 | 2905 | 137.96 | 1 | 37 | 356 | 117 | 50 | 0 |
What is Ishan Kishan's record in T20I?
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20Is | 32 | 32 | 1 | 796 | 89 | 25.67 | 640 | 124.37 | 0 | 6 | 79 | 36 | 13 |
What next for Team India?
India will face South Africa in a T20I series, starting on December 10.
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