Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's return to T20I squad ft. Deep Dasgupta
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's recall into the Indian T20I squad after an absence of about a year and a half, has divided opinions across the country.
A lot of experts have felt that this is a step in the backward direction. A lot of other pundits, however, have backed the team management and felt that the duo will add a lot of experience and stability to the batting lineup.
Add to that Sharma's credits as skipper in the 2023 ODI World Cup, and Kohli's wealth of having accumulated runs all across the world throughout his career, and we have a complete package.
In this listicle, we bring to you the top five reactions by experts to Sharma and Kohli's return to the T20I squad.
#1 Kris Srikkanth
Former India opener Kris Srikanth came out vociferously in support of the decision taken by the selectors to bring Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back into the Indian T20I squad.
By doing this, Srikanth may appear to be toeing the line, but this opinion of his is drastically different from most voiced by people across the nation.
“Virat Kohli is a certainty. He is in great form. Rohit Sharma, maybe, is confident because of how he scored in the World Cup. He will regroup and try and do well in the IPL. If Rohit Sharma says, "I am available", you can’t say you will drop him. At the end of the day, Rohit Sharma is also hurt that he has lost a World Cup,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
#2 Kiran More
Former India stumper Kiran More heaped laurels on the current selection committee for being brave enough to bring Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back into the fold.
More feels that the duo were recalled owing to their current form.
"They have been selected based on their recent form. Your (selectors) thinking changed slightly after two years. I don't know what their thinking was earlier but both gave fantastic performances in the World Cup and looked in form in the South Africa series as well," More told News18.
"The way Rohit Sharma captained in the World Cup and we reached the final as well, he played exceptional innings, the aggression he showed, so the thinking changed slightly. So both have been recalled and it is very good news for Indian cricket," pointed out More.
#3 Deep Dasgupta
Another former Indian stumper, Deep Dasgupta, shared his two cents on the issue. However, his was a completely different stance from the others who had voiced theirs.
The eight-Test veteran feels that this was going backwards as far as India's plans for the T20 World Cup were concerned.
Dasgupta expressed his surprise as he felt that a lot of young T20 specialists will have to miss out to accommodate the senior duo.
"I was slightly surprised because I thought the team had moved on from Rohit and Kohli. The main criticism was the lack of intent from the senior players in the last T20 World Cup. But then again, you need to keep in mind the kind of tracks you are expecting in the West Indies - are you expecting a 180 or 200-run wicket to 160-ish kind of tracks? To be very honest, I do not find any direction here for India in the last one year. If they had to go back to Kohli and Rohit...given the squads we had in the last one year, it is like going back to square one," Dasgupta said to Star Sports.
"Someone like Rinku Singh will miss out. You have to pick one between Jitesh and Samson. I am talking about the T20 World Cup going forward. Rinku and Yashasvi had both impressed a lot, especially the former, because he plays a very specific and unique role and there aren't much competitors for that spot as well," said Dasgupta.
"You will get plenty of top-order batters, but there are rarely batters who can perform at No. 7 or 8. Rinku and Tilak might play against Afghanistan, but going forward, when Hardik and Surya will be available, I feel Rinku and Tilak will both miss out," he added.
#4 Saba Karim
This list seems to be made up almost entirely of former India wicketkeepers- Saba Karim is the next who voiced his opinion on the issue. He felt that the selectors' thinking must have changed drastically for them to include both Sharma and Kohli.
Karim felt that the selectors went with this duo since they added some experience for the T20 World Cup. He also added that both Sharma and Kohli can give a lot of stability to the team.
"There is no doubt. Now that you have included both these players against Afghanistan, it means there has been a massive change in the selectors' thinking. They feel they need experience for the World Cup. That's why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made a comeback," Saba Karim said to Sports18.
"There is another thing. Until now, the selectors had shown faith in Hardik Pandya as a captain but questions are being raised because of Hardik Pandya's injury. That's why the selectors have gone back to Rohit Sharma to bring stability, both as a captain and a batter," he added.
"Once you have picked Rohit, you cannot leave Virat out of the team. Then it's extremely necessary that along with Rohit, you include Virat also in the team for even greater stability and match-winning knocks," he elaborated.
#5 Akash Chopra
Former India opener Akash Chopra, who was important for giving the side solidity at the top of the order in the early 2000s, was not surprised by the inclusion of Sharma and Kohli in the Indian side.
Chopra felt that since there are three openers in the squad, Yashasvi Jaiswal may be asked to sit out. The former Delhi batter was a little surprised that stumper KL Rahul was left out of the squad.
Sharma, Rahul and Kohli were the top three for India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but the Karnataka batter's absence was critical, Chopra said:
"Interestingly enough, KL Rahul's name is not there in this team. There will be a fight for the opening position because Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma are all there. So one of them will have to sit out," Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
"In all likelihood, Yashasvi will be asked to sit out, and Rohit and Gill will open because Gill is a senior member. Seniority-wise, he is ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal. He fluctuates a little too much in the T20 format, that is also a fact," he added.
"Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were India's top three in the 2022 World Cup. Among them, KL Rahul has been dropped or has not been picked, there is no clarity, but he is not there. There can be a discussion on that as well," he elaborated.