"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are good enough to play any format"- Ashish Nehra believes senior duo well capable of playing 2024 T20 World Cup
Former Indian bowler Ashish Nehra lent his opinion surrounding the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the shortest format of the game. The senior pair have not played any T20I cricket since the ill-fated T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final, and it is yet to be known whether they are still being considered for the team or not.
The tricky cricketing schedule has not helped their case either, with 2023 largely focusing on the longer formats because of the World Test Championship (WTC) as well as the ODI World Cup. Now, with the 2024 T20 World Cup only a little more than six months away, the selectors and the senior pair must come to a conclusion regarding their potential role in the T20I setup.
Ashish Nehra feels that the duo are still good enough to play T20I cricket for India given their recent form. He said ahead of the first T20I between India and Australia at Visakhapatnam:
"Virat Kohli is scoring 800 runs, 1000 runs in a calendar year. The way Rohit Sharma is batting, any selector will be tempted. Although they might have a discussion about whether or not Kohli and Rohit want to play the format 'okay I might not play, I might rest."
Nehra continued:
"Unless they announce their retirement from the format in some time, I hope that's not the case. Both Rohit and Virat are good enough to play any format as long as they are scoring runs and having fun."
Virat Kohli, in particular, showcased his prowess in T20I cricket with a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He scored 639 runs in 14 matches, with two centuries to his name at a strike rate of 139.82.
Rohit Sharma also showed glimpses of his aggressive batting during the recently concluded ODI World Cup. Despite being a completely different format, the Indian skipper displayed traits that could very well be translated into T20 cricket.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not part of the T20I series against Australia
The senior duo are currently not part of the ongoing five-match series between India and Australia. Scheduled only mere days following a draining 2023 World Cup campaign, only three players from the squad found a place in the team for the series, with youngsters constituting the majority of the contingent.
Hardik Pandya, who usually leads the second-string outfit, is currently recovering from an ankle injury, leading to Suryakumar Yadav being named as the new captain. The Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the series, following a thrilling last-over win in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, 23 November.
Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play in the 2024 T20 World Cup? Let us know what you think.