Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team and former head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has endorsed the idea of captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli taking a break during the white-ball segment of the South Africa tour. He expressed that both players should be included in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad.
On Thursday, the BCCI announced that Kohli and Rohit would be taking a break from the white-ball segment of the South Africa tour, but assured their return for the red-ball format. As the focus shifts to the T20 World Cup in 2024, especially with a limited number of international T20I matches and the upcoming IPL 2024 season, all eyes are back on Kohli and Rohit.
The duo’s last appearance in a T20I for India was in the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India faced a semi-final defeat against England at the Adelaide Oval. With the T20 World Cup approaching, the question arises about Kohli and Rohit’s role in the shortest format of the game. When asked, Ganguly highlighted their outstanding form in the recently concluded 2023 ODI World Cup, emphasizing that as openers, they unquestionably have a place in the T20I format.
“They absolutely fit in the T20I format. You saw in the World Cup how well Virat Kohli has played. you saw how Rohit Sharma played in the World Cup. They are absolutely integral and an important part of Indian cricket. World Cup is different from bilateral because the pressure is different. I think they both were exceptional in this World Cup. Hopefully in 6 to 7 months down the line in the West Indies they will be against at their best,” Ganguly said in an event on Friday in Kolkata as per ANI.
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“Very rightfully they have taken the break because there is so much cricket all the time. I cannot imagine there was a WC final on November 19 and in three days, you are playing a T20I series against the same team. It is not easy to pick yourself up, especially with the pressure and demands of the World Cup. I am happy they got a break. They will come back fresh for Test cricket. Then there are 5 Tests against England and then IPL and World Cup. So, it is non-stop cricket. Hopefully, they will come back fresh and keep performing,” Ganguly further added.
In the thrilling World Cup of 2023, both Virat and Rohit showcased remarkable performances. Kohli’s bat wielded magic, accumulating a stunning 765 runs across 11 matches, adorned with three centuries and six half-centuries. This feat surpassed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s prior record of 673 runs in a single CWC tournament back in 2003. Adding to the glory, Kohli etched his name in history by notching up his 50th ODI century.
Meanwhile, on the flip side, Rohit Sharma exhibited his batting prowess, concluding the 2023 World Cup as the second-highest run-scorer. His tally stood at an impressive 597 runs in 11 innings, embellished with one century and three half-centuries. The cricketing world was treated to a spectacle as these two maestros left an indelible mark on the grand stage of the World Cup.
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