Sri Lanka cricket team are scheduled to tour India in January, for a three-match T20I series and an ODI series with equal number of matches. Former India captain Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are not a part of the T20I squad while they have been named in the ODI squad. In the absence of seniors for the T20Is, Hardik Pandya has been named captain with Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy.
The decision of Kohli's non-selection comes at a time when he is the second highest run-getter for Team India in T20Is in 2022. Kohli has scored 781 runs in 20 matches at an impressive average of 55.78 in T20Is, this year. The right-handed batter was also the highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup 2022 where he amassed 296 runs in six matches at a stunning average of 98.66 which included four half-centuries. Given his terrific stats in the shortest format in 2022, Kohli's non-selection has raised a number of eyebrows and also given fuel to the market of speculations. Cricket fans and experts are debating whether the 34-year-old has been dropped or given rest.
Amidst the furore over the matter, Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma expressed his views on India News Sports on Wednesday, December 28 and said that it would be incorrect to say that Kohli has been dropped as there hasn't been any official confirmation about the same.
{{/usCountry}}Amidst the furore over the matter, Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma expressed his views on India News Sports on Wednesday, December 28 and said that it would be incorrect to say that Kohli has been dropped as there hasn't been any official confirmation about the same.
{{/usCountry}}"There is still no clarity regarding his exclusion from the T20 squad. Since there is no official e-mail or any confirmation over the same, we don't know if he has been dropped, or if he himself asked for rest. I don't think it's right to say that he has been dropped," said Rajkumar.
Elaborating further, Kohli's coach highlighted that other senior players have also been excluded from the T20I team against Sri Lanka. He opined that the team management might have done it to give opportunity to youngsters as there is no major T20 competition to be played in recent times.
"There is no major T20 competition coming up, and there is still a lot of time left for the next World Cup. These guys were there for the Test matches in Bangladesh, and most of them are also available for the ODI series against Sri Lanka," he added.
"Virat Kohli might have been given rest as a lot of other senior players aren't in the T20 team either. The team management has rested these guys and given the youngsters an opportunity. I don't think they would replace players like them without having any conversations with them," explained Rajkumar.
The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played on Tuesday, January 03 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.