Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra raised considerations over middle-order batter KL Rahul’s omission from the squad in opposition to Afghanistan, particularly when he and skipper Rohit Sharma each put up disappointing numbers throughout ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, however the ‘Hitman’ received an opportunity to return to the nationwide T20I facet. Star opener Rohit Sharma and batter Virat Kohli returned to India’s T20I squad in opposition to Afghanistan because the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday revealed a 16-player roster for a three-match T20I sequence, beginning on January 11. The senior duo made a comeback to India’s T20I setup for the primary time because the finish of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2022, in what’s a serious growth for the facet forward of the T20 World Cup 2024.
However KL Rahul remained absent from the facet. To this, Chopra questioned on his Youtube Channel that what flawed KL had achieved, particularly after having a very good ICC Cricket World Cup final 12 months with the bat. He additionally identified that Rohit did not do effectively in T20 WC 2022 and did effectively within the 50-over match subsequent 12 months to earn his approach again within the workforce.
“Whenever you need to return to your seniors, what’s Rahul’s mistake? If you’re making the workforce based mostly on the final T20 World Cup efficiency, each Rohit and Rahul didn’t do effectively. Each are in the identical boat,” mentioned Aakash on his channel.
“After that, each have achieved effectively, if we see the final World Cup, the ODI one. Then each names ought to have been there. Rahul even retains and bats down the order now. So you might have performed him there as effectively. Nevertheless, Rahul will not be there however Rohit is. Virat Kohli is there. You weren’t seeking to maintain him for the final one 12 months,” he added.
Rohit (116 runs in six matches at a mean of 19.33 and a strike fee of above 106 with a fifty) and KL (128 runs in six matches at a mean of 21.33, with a strike fee of above 120 and two fifties) had disappointing T20 World Cups in Australia, following which they didn’t play any T20Is additional.
So as to add to their depleting T20 stats, each had a mean IPL 2023 as effectively. Rohit scored simply 332 runs in 16 innings at a mean of 20.75 and a strike fee of over 132, with simply two fifties. KL’s season was lower quick by an damage and scored 274 runs in 9 matches at a mean of 34.25 and two fifties, however at a sub-par strike fee of 113.22.
Virat however was the highest run-scorer throughout T20 WC 2022 with 296 runs in six matches at a mean of 98.66, with a strike fee of 136.40 and 4 half-centuries. He additionally had a effective IPL 2023, scoring 639 runs in 14 matches at a mean of 53.25 and a strike fee of virtually 140, with two centuries and 6 fifties.
All three although had record-breaking outings in Cricket World Cup 2023, with Virat scoring 765 runs in 11 matches at a mean of 95.62, with three tons and 6 fifties, and Rohit getting 597 runs in 11 matches at a mean of 54.27, with a century and three fifties at a strike fee of over 125. KL additionally served as a middle-order pillar with 452 runs in 10 innings at a mean of 75.33, with a century and two fifties.
Chopra additionally questioned why wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was included within the squad forward of Ishan Kishan regardless of not being featured in necessary sequence/squads forward of any main ICC tournaments. Notably, Ishan received himself launched from the Check squad throughout South Africa tour as a result of private causes simply earlier than its begin.
“Now Sanju Samson is there. For a very long time, you weren’t choosing him within the necessary format for the 12 months, however now all of the sudden, he has change into part of your scheme of issues. Ishan Kishan will not be there. He has given barely patchy performances however that may be mentioned about Shubman Gill additionally in the event you speak about T20Is,” he mentioned.
Each Samson and Kishan have patchy, inconsistent T20I data. Whereas Samson has scored simply 374 runs in 21 innings at a mean of 19.68, with only one fifty and a strike fee of above 133, Kishan is barely higher with 796 runs in 32 innings at a mean of 25.67, with a strike fee of above 124 and 6 fifties.
Chopra additionally mentioned that solely one in every of Yashasvi Jaiswal or Gill will open with Rohit or Virat may get to open with Rohit to play primary ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav at quantity three.
“Going ahead, solely one in every of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill can open with Rohit Sharma. A faculty of thought may very well be to get Virat Kohli to open with Rohit as a result of then solely it is possible for you to to play Suryakumar Yadav at No. 3, or else you wouldn’t be capable of try this,” he mentioned.
Jaiswal has been spectacular in T20Is to this point, scoring 430 runs in 14 innings at a mean of 33.07 and a strike fee of over 159, with a century and three fifties. Gill however has been underwhelming, with 326 runs in 13 innings at a mean of 26.00 and a strike fee of over 145, with 126 of them coming in a single inning. He additionally has a half-century within the format. In any other case, his T20I stats are marked by lengthy streaks of single-digit scores.
The T20I sequence between India and Afghanistan will kick off on January 11 in Mohali; the second recreation will probably be performed on January 14 in Indore; and the sequence will conclude on January 17 in Bengaluru.
The Afghanistan sequence is India’s final bilateral T20I sequence earlier than the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 1.
India’s Squad for 3 T20Is in opposition to Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.
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