Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal said that the Indian selectors must go ahead with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in T20Is, considering the record of these two batters. However, both Sharma and Kohli have not featured in the Indian team for the shortest format since last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. They were also not named in India’s squad for the upcoming five-mach T20I series against West Indies.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he explained: “Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s presence often puts pressure on the opposition teams. I don’t think India can make a team for an ICC event without them. They are proven players and all-time greats. Virat Kohli is in a different league altogether. Every kid follows him. He has established himself as a world-class player with his passion and performance. It will create a problem if they are suddenly sidelined. Rohit Sharma is also a very big player and has scored many hundreds in T20 cricket. They are a must in a big tournament. Yes, it is okay if you don’t give them the captaincy, but they should surely be in the squad.”
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Akmal also added that the Indian selectors missed a trick by not selecting left-handed batter Rinku Singh in the squad for the West Indies T20Is as well. However, Sharma struggled to score in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL 2023), managing 332 runs at an average of 20.75. Kohli and Rinku, on the other hand, had a great season, finishing with 639 and 474 runs, respectively.
“Rinku Singh should have been a part of India’s squad. He delivered some exceptional performances in the IPL. He single-handedly won matches for KKR this season. It is a big achievement to win so many games in a single tournament. This shows that he has the talent to do well in international cricket,” he concluded. “From this squad, it has become very clear that the BCCI wants to make a team keeping the 2024 T20 World Cup in mind. Hardik Pandya has been getting chances to lead the team for a year or so, and many new players have also gotten opportunities. It is a good step, and the ones doing well in the IPL and domestic cricket should be given chances.”
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India’s squad for West Indies T20Is
Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
