With India set to enter the final preparatory phase for the T20 World Cup next year, it will be interesting to see when the Indian think tank sanctions the returns of skipper Rohit Sharma and ex-captain Virat Kohli into the white-ball squad. Touring the rainbow nation for its first away series after the 2023 One Day International (ODI) World Cup, India are without batting icons Rohit and Kohli for the entire white-ball leg of the South Africa tour.
Speculation has been rife that India skipper Rohit might have already played his final T20I for India. Rohit guided India to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last year. The 36-year-old also captained India in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. To manage his workload, Kohli opted to step down as the T20I captain of the Indian team in 2021. The India skipper and run-machine Kohli have received white-ball rest so that the seasoned campaigners can focus on the upcoming Test series against the Proteas.
'It's all about their hunger'
Talking about the uncertain future of Rohit and Kohli on his YouTube channel, legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers backed the Indian batting stars to feature at the T20 World Cup. "We just have to see them there (Rohit & Virat). It's all about their hunger. Do they have the hunger to go there and win the T20 World Cup? I think so. I cannot speak on their behalf but I think they will want to go there and win. T20 World Cup is a short tournament and you do set yourselves up to have another chance of winning a World Cup. So I do see them going there," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}Talking about the uncertain future of Rohit and Kohli on his YouTube channel, legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers backed the Indian batting stars to feature at the T20 World Cup. "We just have to see them there (Rohit & Virat). It's all about their hunger. Do they have the hunger to go there and win the T20 World Cup? I think so. I cannot speak on their behalf but I think they will want to go there and win. T20 World Cup is a short tournament and you do set yourselves up to have another chance of winning a World Cup. So I do see them going there," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}'India captained by Suryakumar Yadav is…'
In the absence of injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya, India appointed Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the Men In Blue for the Australia and South Africa series. De Villiers welcomed India’s move to name batter Suryakumar as the leader in T20Is. "India captained by Suryakumar Yadav is quite a nice move, I like that. He is a bit of a 360 (degree) player. He thinks differently and is a bit creative. It will be nice to watch him lead his troops in South Africa," De Villiers added.