On Sunday, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. The series saw the return of two superstars from the team, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were ruled out due to injuries.
There were a few names that were missing from the squad. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj have been rested. On the other hand, Sanju Samson has a place in the squad. Ishan Kishan has been dropped as he has taken a break, citing metal fatigue.
However, the return of Rohit and Virat was the talking point among the fans. Both stars will play their first T20I since India’s semi-final exit from the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reckons that Rohit and Virat made their comebacks after their performances in the World Cup 2023.
In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash even said that the selectors don’t have the guts to drop one and pick one in the team; hence, they have to select both.
He added, “If the selectors had thought of dropping either, I don’t think any selector has the guts to drop one and pick the other. Rohit and Virat would have been either selected or dropped. No one has the guts to pick one and drop another.”
Notably, in Rohit’s absence, Hardik and Suryakumar led the T20I side. However, the return of Rohit and Virat suggests their inclusion in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies. Notably, the upcoming series will be the final T20I assignment before the T20 World Cup.
Hence, the Indian management wants to make sure that everyone gets a game. Team India is placed in Group C along with Pakistan. They will open their World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland. The high-voltage game against Pakistan will take place on June 9.
