Kohli has to show he's better in T20I than youngsters, Rohit's competition with Hardik: Ex-IND opener on T20WC selection
Kohli and Rohit have been away from T20I cricket since the last World Cup in Australia in November 2022
There has been a lot of talk around the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20I cricket and whether they would be part of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The two stalwarts have been away from T20Is since the end of the last World Cup in Australia in November 2022. They were expected to return to T20Is post the conclusion of the ODI World Cup, but the duo have extended their period of rest from it as BCCI recently announced the squad for the tour of South Africa.
Speaking to Star Sports, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the return of Kohli and Rohit to T20Is should not happen close to the World Cup, hinting towards less chaos over selection matters closer to the event given that India only have a handful of international matches before the tournament.
"Who knows what's in store in life? I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I believe the approach should be extremely simple. We have played a lot of World Cups and haven't been able to win them," said Manjrekar. "We are maybe playing slightly different cricket in the final stages of World Cups. When something goes out of your hand, simplify it. Pick your team based on form close to the World Cup."
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India have not won an ICC trophy since 2013 Champions Trophy, with the period including four T20 World Cups where the team lost the final in 2014 against Sri Lanka, incurred a semifinal exit in 2016 and 2022 and scripted a forgettable 2021 campaign of a group-stage exit.
Manjrekar also feels that the likes of Kohli and Rohit should be picked on the basis of what they have already achieved in their illustrious career. He explained that while Kohli will have to prove his place against the likes of the youngsters who part of the series against Australia, Rohit will be in competition with Hardik Pandya.
"Virat Kohli will have to show that he is a better option than the youngsters who are playing currently, and Rohit Sharma as T20 batter and captain vs Hardik Pandya, the T20 batter, all-rounder and captain," said Manjrekar.
