With the ICC unveiling the schedule for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies, attention turns to the anticipated return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The fixture announcement places Team India in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, hosts USA, and also includes Canada and Ireland. India is scheduled to clash with Pakistan on June 9 in New York.
In the last T20 World Cup encounter between India and Pakistan, Virat Kohli delivered a heroic performance leading to a 4-wicket victory for India. However, both Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been absent from T20Is since India’s disappointing exit from the 2022 tournament, losing to England in the semis by 10 wickets.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar emphasizes the importance of Kohli and Rohit’s return for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies. Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports, not only praises their batting prowess but underscores the value of their fielding skills and leadership qualities for securing the title.
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Sunil Gavaskar states, “Virat Kohli’s form has been outstanding for the past 1.5 years. He also played brilliantly at the ODI World Cup. So, there should not be any debate over his batting prowess in limited-overs cricket. A massive aspect is that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are still excellent fielders.”
He continues, “Sometimes, you get slow when you are 35-36; your throw isn’t that good anymore. So, there are discussions over where to keep you while setting the field. That’s not a problem for these two because they are still terrific fielders. In addition to seniority in the dressing room, they will contribute on the field, too. We don’t know if Rohit will be captain, but whatever the case, any captain will surely benefit from that.”
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As Team India concludes its tour of South Africa, the focus now shifts to hosting Afghanistan in 3 T20Is before gearing up for a challenging series of 5 Tests against England, commencing later this month. The return of Kohli and Sharma would add significant strength and experience to the T20 squad as they aim for success in the upcoming World Cup.
