Team India Captain Rohit Sharma has expressed unwavering support for Virat Kohli, emphasizing Kohli’s indispensability for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled in June 2024, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA.
Earlier this month, news of a potential exclusion of Virat Kohli from the T20 World Cup sent shockwaves through the cricket world. The Telegraph reported that there’s uncertainty surrounding the star India batter’s spot in the World Cup squad due to the emergence of other power hitters in the Indian team. According to the report, Kohli will need to deliver strong performances in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) if he hopes to secure a place in the prestigious global tournament, set to be held in the USA and the West Indies in June.
Recently, Kirti Azad, the former India all-rounder with connections to certain figures within the BCCI, has openly affirmed that Rohit Sharma has expressed to Jay Shah the vital importance of having Kohli in the T20 World Cup squad “at any cost.” Azad specifically criticized Jay Shah’s significant role in the selection process, emphasizing his disapproval of the secretary’s heavy involvement.
Kirti Azad tweeted: “Why should Jay Shah, he is not a selector, to give responsibility to Ajit Agarkar to talk to the other selectors and convince them that Virat Kohli is not getting a place in the T20 team. For this, time was given till 15th March. If sources are to be believed, Ajit Agarkar was neither able to convince himself nor the other selectors.
“Jay Shah asked Rohit Sharma too but Rohit said we need Virat Kohli at any cost. Virat Kohli will play the T20 World Cup and its official announcement will be made before the team selection. Nincompoops should not invovle themselves in selection process.”
Virat Kohli, much like Rohit, had been absent from the shortest format since the previous T20 World Cup in October-November 2022. During his time away, players like Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube stepped up in the middle order, delivering strong performances and putting themselves in contention for selection for the upcoming matches in the USA-West Indies series.
The dynamic batting duo finally made their return to T20Is in January this year when India faced Afghanistan in a three-match series. Kohli featured in two matches, while Rohit, who had a slow start with two ducks in the initial games, bounced back spectacularly with a century in the third match, helping India secure a clean sweep with a 3-0 series win.
Looking ahead, fans can expect to see Virat Kohli in action once again in the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL), where he will be representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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