Rohit Sharma delivers a shocking statement on India's team selection for World T20 League 2024

Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma says the ongoing Indian T20 League was hardly a factor when it came to selecting the Indian squad for the World T20 League. 

The 37-year-old said on Thursday that they could have chosen the 15-man squad before the commencement of the Indian T20 League. 

The statement he delivered was shocking, considering that Virat Kohli has played just two T20Is since the previous edition of the World T20 League in Australia. On the other side, Rink Singh, who was one of the best performers in recent years was ignored and named as a reserve player. Also, Rishabh Pant, who was out of the field for an indefinite period due to his fatal car accident became part of the squad. 

The World T20 League in the West Indies and the United States begins on June 2 and India will come into action on June 5 against Ireland. 

“We nearly made our squad combination before the Indian T20 League began (in March),” Sharma said on Thursday in a news conference. “There is nobody new coming into the squad, and a lot of our players have been playing T20s before the Indian T20 League. We just had to fill in some gaps and that’s where the Indian T20 League has helped us. We knew our core group and only made a few additions.”

The core squad included Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli which was also the reason why a debate was provoked in the cricketing world. The legendary duo didn’t show up in any Twenty20 for India until past January when Afghanistan was on a tour of India when Kohli appeared in two and Sharma played three respectively. 

According to the 37-year-old skipper, this step was intentional. The senior cricketers mainly aim for the next major tournament which also allows the management to try new players. “We only consistently play test cricket,” the captain added.

Virat and Rohit will appear in their straight sixth World T20 League but have never lifted the trophy successfully. 

“These players have been around because they have been good enough, that’s why they have played multiple World Cups,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated. “We didn’t even discuss Virat Kohli’s Indian T20 League strike rate — playing a World Cup is a different pressure. You want that experience in your team.

“If we haven’t won a trophy in the recent past, it is not for a lack of trying. It just boils down to the day.”

KL Rahul who appeared in the last two World T20 Leagues and in the World ODI Cup as well has been left out this time. The wicketkeeper choices were Rishabh Pant, who made his comeback from a near-death car accident and Sanju Samson, whose long wait comes to an end and will prove to be a useful asset in the middle order of the game. 

“Currently in the Indian T20 League, (Rahul) is batting as an opener,” Agarkar said. “We were looking at middle-order options. Sanju Samson (who bats at number three for the Rajasthan franchise) can bat lower down. Rishabh Pant (with Delhi franchise) is batting at five. It is about the slots we needed to fill, and these are two incredible batters who can do the job lower down the order.”