Neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli have made an appearance in T20Is in 2023 so far.
The two batting stalwarts of team India, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, haven’t featured in T20Is since last year’s T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya has since been leading the Indian team in the shortest format, and his injury during the World Cup saw Suryakumar Yadav take over the leadership role in the ongoing series against Australia.
According to bowler-turned-coach Ashish Nehra, the duo should be given a free hand on whether they want to return to the shortest format. Nehra believes that the youngsters will have to make way for Rohit and Kohli should they decide to continue in T20Is.
Nehra said ahead of India’s first T20I against Australia on Thursday that “age is no criterion. What matters is how many runs you are scoring. We spoke about Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shubman Gill, but if Rohit Sharma wants to play, they have to compete with him. Here is a 36-year-old super-youngster, fearless guy. When we talk about Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, again, the World Cup is very far away. If they want to play and they are scoring runs, youngsters will have to beat them to make a place in the XI.”
He further said that “losses in the ODI World Cup shouldn’t make a difference. How those two think is the most important part. Virat Kohli is scoring runs in the IPL, Rohit Sharma is performing; any selector will be tempted, and they will have discussions unless they announce their retirement, which I hope won’t be the case in the near future.”
