"Don't know if he has been dropped, or if he himself asked for rest" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on the Indian batter's absence from T20I squad
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma recently stated that he doesn't know if the star batter asked to be rested for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
During a discussion on India News Sports on Wednesday, December 28, Sharma pointed out how there was no official confirmation over Kohli's exclusion from the T20 team.
Sharma, however, mentioned that he believes that the former India captain has not been dropped, explaining:
"There is still no clarity regarding his exclusion from the T20 squad. Since there is no official e-mail or any confirmation over the same, we don't know if he has been dropped, or if he himself asked for rest. I don't think it's right to say that he has been dropped."
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Rohit Sharma back in the Indian squad 💪🏻
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Notably, while Kohli is one of the notable absentees from India's T20I squad for the Sri Lanka matches, he is a part of the team for the subsequent ODI series.
Apart from Kohli, several other senior players, including Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, also haven't been included in the team for the T20I fixtures but will be there for the ODI series.
"Virat Kohli might have been given rest" - Rajkumar Sharma
Rajkumar Sharma further went on to say that the team management will not drop players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the team without having a word with them.
He suggested that the Indian think tank wants their senior players to concentrate on ODIs, as there is a 50-over World Cup coming up next year. Sharma emphasized that with no major T20 competition around the corner, India can afford to give youngsters a go in the shortest format.
The veteran coach added:
"There is no major T20 competition coming up, and there is still a lot of time left for the next World Cup. These guys were there for the Test matches in Bangladesh, and most of them are also available for the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
"Virat Kohli might have been given rest as a lot of other senior players aren't in the T20 team either. The team management has rested these guys and given the youngsters an opportunity. I don't think they would replace players like them without having any conversations with them."
Hardik Pandya to lead team India in the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka 🤩
A start of a new era? 🤔
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India and Sri Lanka will compete in three T20Is and as many ODIs in January next year. The T20I series opener will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on January 3.