New Delhi, In a recent marathon meeting between top BCCI officials, India captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the selection committee, Rohit reportedly sought clarity on his inclusion in the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in the West Indies and the USA. The meeting, which also covered a review of India’s ODI World Cup campaign, aimed to discuss the roadmap for Indian cricket.
Participating in the meeting via a zoom call from London, where he was spending time with his family, Rohit questioned BCCI officials and selectors about his role in the T20 World Cup. According to sources, Rohit expressed, “If you want to select me for the T20 World Cup, then tell me now how to go about it.”
In response, officials, coach Dravid, and selectors reportedly unanimously agreed that Rohit is the ideal candidate to lead the team in the T20 World Cup. While the selectors suggested Rohit take charge of the T20I side from the South Africa tour, the seasoned opener requested a break from the entire white-ball leg, and the selectors respected his decision.
Rohit Sharma, who hasn’t played a T20I since the 2022 World Cup, will return as the captain in the two-match Test series starting on December 26. The decision on his T20I captaincy came as selectors considered Hardik Pandya’s ankle injury, ruling him out of the World Cup and subsequent series, making it challenging to view him as a long-term captain in any format. The selectors opted for Suryakumar Yadav to lead the ODI side, with KL Rahul captaining the ODI squad.
The dynamic batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, took a break from T20Is after the 2022 World Cup semi-final loss to England to focus on the ODI World Cup. With the ODI World Cup concluded, their return to the T20I setup seems likely, pending the first half of the IPL, where player form will play a crucial role in selection.