Rohit Sharma, Virat, Bumrah disturb T20I combination for Team India in T20 World Cup 2024: The Indian team is now on track to prepare for the next ICC event – ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The preparations for the same are underway as it has begun with the five-game T20I series against Australia. A fairly young Team India defeated Australia 4-1 in the T20I series and now the team will head to South Africa for another challenge.
Team India will be playing a three-game T20I series in South Africa, which begins on December 10. The BCCI has named a largely unchanged squad for the T20I leg of the tour.
Initially, there were talks of the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah into the T20I outfit, however, nothing along those lines could be possible. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have reportedly asked for a break from the white ball series. Meanwhile, there is no further development on Jasprit Bumah’s appearance on the T20Is.
Some reports have come up saying the BCCI has approached Rohit Sharma to lead the Indian side in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, starting June 4, however, his active participation in the T20Is still remains unclear. The veteran batter is yet to play a T20I game in the year 2023.
The Afghanistan Series only chance for Rohit Sharma, Virat, Bumrah
Former Indian wicketkeeper batter Parthiv Patel reckons Team India will have a hard time finding the right playing combination for the T20 World Cup 2024, an issue with which they have always struggled in the ICC events.
“India’s biggest challenge to me has always been finding that right combination, especially in the T20 format. And we don’t have games. Now we are talking about just three Afghanistan games if at all Virat or Rohit or Bumrah play in that. So I think it is something which India will have to take into account,” said Parthiv on Cricbuzz.
Team India will have just one T20I series after the upcoming tour of South Africa. India will take on Afghanistan in home T20Is next year, which is the only T20I series for the Men in Blue before the Tata IPL 2024.
Notably, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were put out of the T20I squad following India’s embarrassing defeat in the T20 World Cup 2022. So the duo hasn’t featured in the T20I format for over a year. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah has only played two T20Is in over a year, although, he spent most of his time back then recovering.
“Or else, they will have to go with whoever does well in the IPL. But then you will have to announce the team about halfway through the IPL as well. So it is a challenge. I am sure that before announcing the team they must have thought of who is in line for the World Cup and whether we want to get them for the Afghanistan series. It is a tricky situation.”
Parthiv Patel mentioned that in all the ICC tournaments held so far, Team India has not been outplayed with talent, but it’s been tactical smartness that has blocked India’s way to lifting the glorious ICC Cup.
“I think they are looking at more options by going with this young squad. There is no lack of supply of talent in India. A problem of plenty is still a problem and we have to find the right combination. In whatever tournaments they have played, India were not out-skilled. They were tactically outplayed. Whether it was the 2023 final, the 2021 T20 World Cup where India was playing that outdated T20 game, in 2019 there was a problem of No.4,” said Parthiv.