Cricket fans around the globe went into a meltdown after a few news publications reported that Virat Kohli may sit out the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. According to the reports, Virat Kohli might get sidelined to make room for the youngsters in the team, with claims that ‘slow wickets don’t suit him’.
Virat Kohli returned to the T20I team of India in January this year after an absence of more than a year. For the unversed, Virat and Rohit Sharma were not picked in the T20I format following the T20 World Cup before they were recalled for the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan at home.
Virat Kohli Ruled Out Of T20 World Cup 2024, Jay Shah Revealed The Reason
While Rohit Sharma was able to make a grand comeback, registering a fine century in the 3rd T20I, on the other hand, Kohli failed to live up to the expectations and was dismissed with scores of 29 and 0 in two outings.
While BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed the participation of Rohit Sharma in the T20 World Cup 2024, however, uncertainty looms over the involvement of Virat in the upcoming tournament. While Kohli’s return to the T20I squad against Afghanistan confirmed his participation in the World Cup, but as per new reports, he can still face the axe.
As per a report by The Telegraph, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is hesitant to include Virat Kohli in the T20 World Cup squad. Both the selectors and team management feel that the batting maestro has struggled to meet the team’s requirements in the T20I format of the game.
As per the report, the BCCI has left the responsibility of selection to Ajit Agarkar and he will decide the fate of Virat Kohli’s participation in the World Cup. With India’s drought in the ICC trophies since 2013, the selectors are open to making bold decisions for the upcoming tournament.
The report also added that Virat Kohli will only be considered for the T20 World Cup if he delivers an exceptional performance in the upcoming IPL 2024 season. As of now, players like Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube are ranked higher than Kohli in the selection hierarchy.
“It is also believed that the slow wickets in the West Indies wouldn’t suit him. The selectors have been toying with the idea for some time now and there has been nothing to suggest about a change in plans,” stated the report.
In the meantime, the provisional squad for the T20 World Cup must be submitted to the ICC in the first week of May. India finds itself in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, USA, and Canada. The Men in Blue will kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5th.
