(Image source from: Instagram.com/virat.kohli)
Reportedly, Virat Kohli, who holds the record for the highest number of runs in the ODI World Cup 2023, is no longer the preferred choice for India's T20I team. As the T20 World Cup approaches in June 2024, the focus has shifted from ODIs to T20Is. A lengthy meeting took place in New Delhi between captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, where they discussed and planned for the upcoming event in the West Indies and the USA. Before the T20 World Cup squad is finalized, India has only six T20Is remaining - three in South Africa and three against Afghanistan at home.
During the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour, Kohli, Rohit, and Jasprit Bumrah have requested breaks, meaning there are only three T20Is against Afghanistan for the selectors to assess the squad's full strength. According to a report in Dainik Jagran, while Rohit and Bumrah are guaranteed spots in the XI, Kohli's inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad is uncertain.
Rohit and Kohli, both absent from the T20 World Cup since the semi-final of the 2022 edition in Australia, are now being considered for the Indian team. Rohit, having displayed an impressive performance in the ODI World Cup with 597 runs at a strike rate of 125, has caught the attention of the selectors who believe he deserves another opportunity in an ICC event. However, the same cannot be said for Kohli. Despite his remarkable achievements in the World Cup, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries and becoming the first cricketer to score over 700 runs in a single edition, Kohli is currently not the preferred choice for the No.3 position in T20Is.
