Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla backed both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to be part of the T20 World Cup 2024 squad, saying that India will need their experience in the 20-team tournament in the USA and the West Indies. Chawla said there is no such thing as carrying baggage for experienced players like Kohli and Rohit who know how to handle pressure at the biggest of stages.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the full fixtures for the T20 World Cup 2024, starting June 1 in the USA and the West Indies. India have been drawn in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and USA. India will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5 while their marquee match against arch-rivals Pakistan is scheduled on June 9 in New York.
In the lead-up to the big tournament in June, India have only one T20 international series scheduled. The Asian giants take on Afghanistan in a 3-match series from January 11. Ahead of the bilateral series, the senior selection committee faces a couple of major challenges as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s availability has become a big debate. India will not have Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav for the series as the two players, who led India in 2023, are out on the sidelines due to injuries.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not played T20I since India’s semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup in November 2022. It will be interesting to see whether the selectors would bring them back for the 3-match series or wait for the IPL 2024 season to take a call on their participation.
“You can look at it differently as well because Kohli and Rohit must be thinking the other way (Asked if they will carry baggage from the past). They want to do something special to really win the World Cup. You don’t think like there is baggage or something because once you are on the field, you don’t think about what happened in the past, you are just living that current situation. If you ask me personally, I would say that experience matters in crunch situations,” Piyush Chawla told Star Sports.
Meanwhile, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that the selectors have to wait and watch and take a call on the team’s composition, looking at the form of the players in the IPL.
“The selectors can just wait and watch. You play the waiting game. They have to wait until the time for selection comes. Then they have to make tough calls. And it will be very easy for them to see – Rohit Sharma’s form, Virat Kohli’s form, and everyone else who are competing their form in the IPL,” he added.
Only on Thursday, KL Rahul, who also has not played T20Is since November 2022, expressed his desire to return to the shortest format, saying he is ready to be flexible and bat in the middle-order.
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