Is Rohit Sharma running out of time to show that he really belongs in India’s T20I team for the World Cup? The India captain, who returned to the shortest format after 14 months, scored 0 and 0 in the first two matches of a three-match India vs Afghanistan T20 series.
Rohit Sharma was run-out without getting off the mark in the first match in Mohali after a mix-up with Shubman Gill. In the second T20I on Sunday, Rohit tried to be aggressive with the first ball he faced and was bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Of course, Rohit Sharma can still bully Afghanistan in the third and final match with a big score but the concerns around him are genuine.
In 2022, Rohit scored only 656 runs from 29 T20Is at an average of 24.29 and a strike-rate of 134.42. This year, he has two ducks from two matches.
There are several other hard-hitters waiting to explode for India. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who did not play the series opener, smashed 68 off 34 in the second game in Indore. Shubman Gill has not had the best time in the T20I format but he is young and has been brilliant for Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He does have an edge over Rohit Sharma.
Cricket podcaster John Wright felt India have the firepower to end their ICC title jinx this year. But it could backfire as the selectors are banking on players just on reputation.
“India can win the T20 World Cup. But if the selectors ignore the explosive big hitters and choose to play players of previous reputations.
I’ll wish them well but they won’t be carrying my money . T20 format continues to innovate at pace . This is awesome viewing,” the podcaster wrote on X.
Rohit Sharma is the second highest run-scorer in T20Is and has hit four hundreds in the format. However, his recent form in the T20 format will be a headache for the selectors, who have several explosive players to choose from.
