Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were the biggest talking points when the BCCI announced India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan on Sunday, January 7. Both veterans returned to the shortest format after 14 months and are now tipped to be part of the T20 World Cup 2024 in June.
With Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav missing the series due to long-term injuries, Rohit is back to take the leadership role. Both Rohit and Virat requested a rest from the white-ball series against South Africa but recently informed their availability ahead of the team selection.
Both Rohit and Virat last played T20I during India's 10-wicket defeat against England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022. Virat was the leading run-getter in the tournament with 296 runs in just six innings and then also showed remarkable consistency with 639 runs in IPL 2023 with two centuries.
Rohit has struggled for consistency in the shortest format but was in sensational form in the recent ODI World Cup 2023 where he scored 597 runs at a strike rate of 125.94. Both Virat and Rohit's return definitely boosts the Indian team and their preparations for the World Cup in West Indies and USA.
After the squad announcement on Sunday, cricket fans also reacted positively and seemed jubilant with their comments. Many are predicting the duo's potential selection for World Cup 2024 while few also raised questions over Rohit's T20 form.
Fans' reaction to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's return to T20I cricket:
India T20I squad for Afghanistan series: Rohit Sharma (c), 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, Mukesh Kumar
