As IND vs AFG T20I series commences in Mohali on Thursday, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two seasoned cricketers, will be under close scrutiny. While both players are accustomed to facing such, this time holds a different significance as their T20I performances will be analyzed in light of the Indian cricket team’s preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, ahead of the announcement, the BCCI selectors met the former captain at Cape Town itself.
It has been over a year since these two stalwarts featured in a T20I match for India. Post the 2022 T20 World Cup, there were speculations suggesting that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might be phased out of the T20 format.
However, the recent inclusion of both players in the final T20I series before the 2024 T20 World Cup by the BCCI selectors signifies that they remain integral to the team’s plans. Sources mentioned in a Cricbuzz report reveal that the BCCI selectors engaged in discussions with Virat Kohli, addressing expectations from him in the shortest format. Reportedly, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar held talks with Kohli in Cape Town. It remains unclear if similar discussions took place with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Making a comeback to the T20 format after a 14-month hiatus since his last match in 2022, Kohli is poised to achieve a significant milestone – just 35 runs away from becoming the first Indian and the third player globally to reach 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. Kohli boasts an impressive T20 record, amassing 11,965 runs in 374 matches with an average of 41.40 and a strike rate of 133.35, featuring eight centuries and 91 half-centuries.
