The previous year has been quite an adventure for the Indian selectors as they attempt to set a route for the forthcoming important ICC tournament in June 2024. Surprisingly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t gone onto the field for a T20 International match since India’s semi-final defeat to England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 hosted in Australia.
The 9th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup is set to be hosted by the West Indies and the USA in June. India is gearing up for their next T20I series against Afghanistan, scheduled to kick off on January 11. This series is expected to provide insights into the Indian team management’s strategy for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
Recent reports indicate that senior cricketers are eager to participate in the T20 World Cup 2024. There are talks of a meeting between these players, Indian selectors, and support staff during India’s second test against South Africa at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, where Rohit Sharma is leading the side.
Shiv Sundar Das and Salil Ankola, part of the selection panel, are currently in South Africa, and Chief of the national selection panel, Ajit Agarkar, is set to join them during the second test. The Agarkar-led selection panel is scheduled to meet with head coach Rahul Dravid and the senior cricketers to discuss their future in the T20I format. However, no squad has been announced for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins shortly after India’s tour of South Africa concludes.
The selection process for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 involves monitoring a pool of 30 T20 specialist cricketers during India’s series against Afghanistan. The final 15 members for the World Cup squad will be decided based on their performances in the two-month-long Indian Premier League tournament.
A BCCI source has informed the news agency PTI, “Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya aren’t fit. The Afghanistan series won’t tell you anything. Everything will be decided on the basis of the first month of IPL.”
Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have sustained injuries, leading to their exclusion from the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The Team Management is currently deliberating on the captaincy, and if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are chosen for the Afghanistan series, Rohit will assume the leadership role. This decision will serve as a clear indication of their involvement in the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA, as the Afghanistan series marks India’s final T20I engagement before the prestigious tournament.
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