‘You Get Slow, Your Throw Isn’t That Good Anymore...’: Gavaskar’s ‘Doubtless’ Verdict on Rohit, Kohli’s Return for T20 WC

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posted on 10 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Sunil Gavaskar said not only their batting prowess but thefielding skills and leadership qualities of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are something which the team would require to win the title.

As the ICC announced the fixtures for the forthcoming edition of the T20 World Cup 2024, in the USA and the West Indies, the discussions about the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to take centre stage. The governing body of cricket on Friday announced the schedule for the showpiece event in which Team India are placed in Group A, alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, and hosts USA while Canada and Ireland are the other two teams. As per the roster, India will lock horns with Shaheen Shah Afridi’s men in green on June 9 in New York.

The last time India and Pakistan locked horns in a T20 World Cup, the viewers witnessed a heroic act from Kohli that sealed a 4-wicket win for India. However, he hasn’t shown up for the country in the T20Is since the team’s horrific exit from the tournament in 2022, after losing to England in the semis by 10 wickets. So has Rohit Sharma.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that it’s essential for Rohit and Kohli to return for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West. Speaking on Star Sports, the batting legend said not only their batting prowess but their fielding skills and leadership qualities are something which the team would require to win the title.

“Virat Kohli’s form has been outstanding for the past 1.5 years. He also played brilliantly at the ODI World Cup. So, there should not be any debate over his batting prowess in limited-overs cricket. A massive aspect is that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are still excellent fielders,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“Sometimes, you get slow when you are 35-36; your throw isn’t that good anymore. So, there are discussions over where to keep you while setting the field. That’s not a problem for these two because they are still terrific fielders. In addition to seniority in the dressing room, they will contribute on the field, too. We don’t know if Rohit will be captain, but whatever the case, any captain will surely benefit from that,” he added.

Following the conclusion of the South African tour, Team India will now host Afghanistan in 3 T20Is before shifting focus to 5 Tests against England, starting later this month.