"You cannot keep everyone happy" - Rohit Sharma on managing a vast player pool ahead of 2024 T20 World Cup
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has shed light on the struggles of having a wide talent pool, in terms of awarding opportunities to each candidate leading up to the eventual squad selection for the big events. The Men in Blue made the most of the home T20I series against Afghanistan by allowing several players to showcase their ability as it marked their last T20I endeavor before the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Every player in the squad got an opportunity over the three-match series, but it was not the first-choice contingent, as several players missed out due to injuries while a handful were rested as well.
Squad selection has been a major headache for the selectors in recent times, with youngsters settling in quickly, proving their mettle, and potentially even cementing their place in no time.
Rohit highlighted that the team's cause always comes first, and as a result of it, some players might have to miss out from the playing XI.
"As far as Rahul bhai and I are concerned, we have tried our best to maintain the clarity within the team and communicate clearly to the player as to why they are dropped. You cannot leep everyone happy. This is something I have learned while captaining the team. You have to focus on the team's goals first," Rohit Sharma said in an interaction with Jio Cinema after Team India's series win over Afghanistan.
The home series marked Rohit's return to the T20I setup after 14 long months. In his absence, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav led the side, a phase where several youngsters came into the side and abided by the aggressive approach laid out by the team management.
"I was watching the games when I was out of the team, but I was not part of the playing team. So, I took the information from the coaching staff, and it was important to hand different situations to the players. Giving them overs where they are not comfortable bowling. Some are not comfortable bowling in the powerplay, while some are not comfortable in the death. So, we wanted to see how the guys can adapt, and I rhink we have ticked those boxes in this series," Rohit Sharma added.
"We had discussed a lot of things prior to the series, and Iwwas away from the team for a year as well. I spoke to Rahul bhai about the team's plans, the approach and which players are we keeping an eye on, where we want them to and all of that," he continued.
Team India wrapped up the series against Afghanistan with a thrilling win in the third T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The Men in Blue won the dead rubber through a second Super Over after the previous efforts to settle the contest were tied.
"We have performed, and yet we are out of the team" - Rohit Sharma empathizes with youngsters' plight in modern-day cricket
The harsh realities of modern-day cricket have seen several deserving candidates being dropped from the team through no fault of their own. The blame cannot be shifted to the team management either as senior, proven players are always first in the pecking order.
"To an extent, having a vast talent pool becomes a challenging prospect at times. When we were focused on the ODI World Cup, the youngsters performed well in the T20s, and then when the main squad comes, some young players have to sit out. It is disappointing for them, their thinking is that,'We have performed, and yet we are out of the team,'" Rohit Sharma said.
The selection headaches are bound to increase with a handful of players coming out of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) in blistering form. The question of form against experience is surely set to arise again in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup.