Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to the T20I team after a long break of 14 months. Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team in the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli is also part of the team.
Sharma and Kohli last played a T20I match during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 against England. However, they missed the shorter format last year to focus on the ODI World Cup and ICC World Test Championship 2023. In his absence, Hardik Pandya led a young team in T20Is.
After the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kohli and Sharma were expected to return to the shorter format. However, both were absent from the T20I series against Australia and South Africa. The duo were not available for the series.
As a result, there were doubts about his inclusion in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which will take place in June this year. However, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently revealed the squad for the IND vs AFG T20 series, naming Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad.
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BCCI official reveals secret reasons behind Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli comeback
While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s excellent form and experience have been a key reason behind their presence in the T20I side, a BCCI official has revealed more secret reasons behind their inclusion.
On condition of anonymity, a BCCI official told PTI that the selection committee needed to maintain the status quo during their return in the T20Is. He also added that different stakeholders like broadcasters and sponsors are also key reasons when it comes to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
“Decisions on Rohit and Virat cannot be taken solely by the selection committee. There is a lot at stake, broadcasters and sponsors, and you can’t choose one and abandon the other. Ajit and his team needed to maintain the status quo,” he said.
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Sharma and Kohli have also made them available for their selection in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The tournament will be played in the West Indies and USA in June 2024. India is part of Group A with teams like Pakistan, Ireland , Canada and the USA in your pool.
IND vs AFG T20I series will witness 3 T20Is
India and Afghanistan will play three T20I games against each other. The IND vs AFG 1st T20I will take place on Thursday, January 11 at the IS Bindra Stadium. The next two games will be played on January 14 and 17.
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Interestingly, Team India will only play three T20I matches against Afghanistan before the T20 World Cup. They are scheduled to play a five-match Test series against England after the IND vs AFG series. The Test series will see five games from January to March 2024. Later, all India players will participate in IPL 2024.