‘Kyo ye sabhi player fit nahi hai kya’ – Fans puzzled as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma get excluded for T20Is vs New Zealand

After the conclusion of the ongoing series against the Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lankan team, the Men in Blue will take on New Zealand for a three-match T20I and ODI series set to get underway on January 18, Wednesday. The squad for the same was announced on Friday and much to the surprise of the Indian fans, Prithvi Shaw, the right-handed batter, earned his call-up after a wait of 18 months. 

However, on the other hand, the selection committee cemented a strong statement by excluding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the squad, indirectly hinting at moving on from the veterans. Hardik Pandya, the fiery allrounder, is all set to continue his stint as the captain of the T20I team, with Suryakumar Yadav being his deputy. 

KL Rahul, the wicketkeeper, was left out of the squad due to personal commitments and it remains to be seen if he would be brought back into the setup, given that he is yet to work on his strike rate. Jitesh Sharma, on the other hand, was retained in the squad and one has to agree that the player deserves the spot and rightfully so. 

Are team India selectors moving on from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?

The selection committee is yet to clarify the exclusion of the veterans from the squad but it is understood that they might be moving on from the players, roping in youngsters keeping the 20-20 World Cup which will take place in two years’ time. The likes of Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill will continue their stint in the format. 

Gill, who is an active part of the Test and ODI squad, was roped in for the T20I series against Sri Lanka for the first time and retained the spot for the series against Kiwis as well. It might be that the selectors are looking at him as an all-format player, given his impressive batting technique and ability. 

Here is India’s squad for the T20I series vs New Zealand: Hardik Pandya (C), Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar

Here is how fans have reacted to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s exclusion from the T20I squad for the series vs New Zealand: 

Also Read: Top 5 most memorable IND vs NZ encounters in T20Is