Former India selector Sarandeep Singh feels that recalling Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I squad was the right call by the selection committee. The star duo have been picked for the home series against Afghanistan beginning on January 11.
The three matches will be crucial for the Indian team as it will be their last T20I series before the T20 World Cup. The BCCI took the big call to recall the star pair after they made themselves available for the Afghanistan contests.
They played a massive role in taking India to the ODI World Cup final and Sarandeep feels that the team will need the experience of the duo in the T20 WC as well.
“It is the right call. In ICC events, you need players who can handle pressure well. They both were great in the ODI World Cup and are in top form. However, this development means it would be very difficult to accommodate Jaiswal and Ruturaj,” Sarandeep Singh told PTI.
Rohit and Kohli last played in T20I way back in the T20 World Cup 2022 where India suffered a defeat to England in the semifinal.
However, Sarandeep also justified the celebrated pair not playing the shortest format since November 2022. He suggested that the break the two took helped India to test their bench strength by giving a chance to young players in the shortest format.
“You have to prepare bench strength also. In all probability, this will be their last T20 World Cup. If Rohit and Virat were not rested, you could not have tried the likes of Jaiswal, Ruturaj, Jitesh (Sharma) and others,” Sarandeep Singh said.
The former selector further said that the performances will make the picture clearer for the selectors to pick the T20 World Cup squad.
“Having said that, these two greats don’t need to play the shortest format to make a comeback. Eventually, the performance of all the World Cup probables in the IPL will make the picture clearer for the subsequent World Cup,” the former India spinner further added.
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