MOHALI- The spotlight will be only on the returning Rohit Sharma as his long-time colleague Virat Kohli pulled out of the opening T20I against Afghanistan due to ”personal reasons” ahead of the first ever white-ball series between the two teams, beginning here on Thursday.
Kohli, though, will be available for the second and third T20 International.
India head coach Rahul Dravid attributed Kohli’s pull-out to ”family reasons” before he addressed media.
Both the stalwarts are returning to the shortest format after 14 months and will be keenly observed in the three-match rubber, which will be India’s last before the T20 World Cup in June, giving the team more clarity on where it stands ahead of the ICC event in Americas.
However, the final 15 will be picked on the basis of core group’s performance in the IPL, which precedes the World Cup.
Dravid said Rohit will open the batting with young Yashasvi Jaiswal against Afghanistan.
Rohit and Kohli, after he returns, are a certainty in this squad but the accomplished duo would first like to get the most out of the games against Afghanistan, who would be without their star spinner Rashid Khan. Khan underwent a back surgery in November last year and is still recuperating.
”He is not totally fit. We will miss him in the series. We will struggle without Rashid but one should be ready for any kind of situation,” Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said on the eve of the series-opener, hoping that others in the side would step up.
The focus, however, will firmly be on Rohit, easily among the biggest crowd-puller. His presence on the field would be a big reason for the Mohali crowd to brave the prevailing cold wave.
Rohit, who will also captain the side, will be expected to carry on with his ultra aggressive approach in the powerplay like he showed in the ODI World Cup. The team, having returned from South Africa last week, only assembled on Wednesday evening for the series.
India would be expected to win comfortably in their own conditions but Afghanistan will give them a run for their money.
Having recently exceeded all expectations in their giant-killing run during the ODI World Cup in India, Afghanistan will be high on confidence in a format that suits them the most.
Barring Rashid’s injury-forced absence, the team is at full strength after the likes Mujeeb Zadran, Naveen-Ul Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi sorted their contractual issues with the country’s cricket board.
Match starts at 7pm (local time).
Rohit-Jaiswal To Continue At Opening Slot: Rahul Dravid
India head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed on Wednesday that the team will persist with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers in the run-up to the T20 World Cup, underlining the importance of a left-right pair at the pole position.
Rohit has returned to India’s T20 scheme of things for the series against Afghanistan, beginning here on Thursday, after a hiatus of 14 months. His previous appearance was in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England at Adelaide. Jaiswal has been opening in the shortest format since the away series against the West Indies in August last year.
”As of now, we will be opening with Rohit and Jaiswal. When you have a squad that offers flexibility, we can take a call that is in the best interest of the team,” Dravid said on the eve of the match.
”We are certainly happy with what Jaiswal has done for us as an opener. It also gives us the left-right combination at the top,” added Dravid.
However, that will leave the question on how to find a place for Shubman Gill, who either opens or comes at No. 3 in T20Is. It is pertinent because Virat Kohli too has made a comeback to T20Is along with Rohit. Star batsman Kohli has been named in the squad for the series against Afghanistan, though he will be available only from the second T20I.
So, how is the think-tank going to accommodate Kohli in the eleven? Is pairing Kohli with Rohit at the top a rational move to make? Dravid did not entirely rule out that possibility.
”Nothing is closed (Kohli opening with Rohit). We have no doubt that the kind of ability and skill sets players like Rohit and Kohli possess, they will be able to find answers against different kind of bowling,” said Dravid.
The former Indian captain said the selection process will be dominated by the capability of a player to negate all circumstances, and will not merely rely on the desire to field a left-right combination.
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