‘Most of the seniors will…’ – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, among others, may faze out of Indian T20I setup

There have been multiple reports of change in the Indian T20I setup. It is expected that some of the senior members of the team, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, may be out of the scheme of things for the next edition of the 20-20 World Cup. India’s humiliating 10-wicket loss against England in the 20-20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals has triggered these rumours.

While Rohit Sharma has only had a chance to captain in one Apex Cricket Council event, there are rumours that Hardik Pandya will take over his position in the shortest format. According to an Indian Cricket Board source, a brand new team will be fielded for the next edition, which will be played in 2024.

“The BCCI never asks anyone to retire. It is an individual decision. But yes, with just a handful of T20Is scheduled in 2023, most of the seniors will concentrate on ODIs and Test matches in that cycle,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“You don’t need to announce retirement if you don’t want to. You will not see most of the seniors playing T20 next year,” the source added.

In the run-up to the Cricket World Cup, which will be held in India next year, the emphasis will shift to the 50-over format. According to the FTP calendar, India will play 25 ODIs and 12 T20Is before the World Cup, three of which were the recently concluded matches against New Zealand.

Too early to discuss: Rahul Dravid

Following India’s 20-20 World Cup defeat, India head coach Rahul Dravid was asked about the future of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20 setup. At the post-match press conference, which was broadcast live on Star Sports, the coach stated that it was too early to discuss the transition.

In the meantime, India is currently playing a three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Shikhar Dhawan is leading the Indian team in the absence of Rohit Sharma. The Blackcaps won the first match before the second match was washed out. The final match of the series will be played on the 30th of November.