As India wrapped up its final T20 series before the much-anticipated Indian Premier League and the T20 World Cup, cricket aficionados were treated to a dominant home performance, with Team India sealing a clean sweep 3-0 over Afghanistan. This concluded in a dramatic, possibly record-setting longest T20I match in Bengaluru’s cricket history. Veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli found their way back into the team’s lineup after a hiatus of 14 months, which was their first outing since the previous T20 World Cup. Despite the return, their performances could be seen as a mix of rusty and remarkable, as both veterans saw ducks etched next to their names—Rohit, in particular, faced two scoreless outings before making up for them in the concluding match.
Rohit Sharma’s involvement in the series saw him getting out twice without a single run to his credit, finally compensating by scoring a blistering 121 off 69 balls in the finale, securing a formidable total for India. Comparatively, his counterpart Kohli failed to score in his IPL home ground of Bengaluru yet displayed a promising, albeit brief innings of 29 off 16 balls in Indore, which gave fans a glimpse of what could be described as a ‘reinvented’ Kohli in the T20 format. Their participation inevitably sparked debates regarding the team’s seniors’ selection strategy in a pre-World Cup scene.
This was particularly given that promising talents such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma had carved their niches in the squad, leading many to question the pertinence of Rohit’s and Kohli’s inductions approaching the T20 World Cup. However, despite their episodic underperformance, both players exhibited flashes of brilliance, hinting that the team might harness their experience one last time in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Amidst these discussions, iconic former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on the topic with a critical eye. According to his column for Sportstar, he regarded the decision to bring back the seasoned duo for the series against Afghanistan as a move that made “very little sense.” He was particularly unimpressed with the skipper’s dismissal in the second game, which raised questions about Rohit’s current drive for the game. Gavaskar’s pointed scrutiny also fell on Rohit’s first-game duck, as it led to an expectation of a comeback in the subsequent match which did not materialize in the way fans had hoped.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s venture in the final game ended when he was caught out attempting to attack a rising ball. His dismissal, though, didn’t overshadow Rohit’s spectacular contribution that offered the audience some dazzling cricket and solidified India’s commanding total.
In related sports news, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also recently announced the India A squads for the multi-day games against England Lions, which sees rising stars like Rinku and Arshdeep included. Furthermore, discussions about chances dangling over Rishabh Pant’s head for the T20 World Cup, even in light of a successful IPL stint, have surfaced, as commented by Zaheer Khan.
Also, in the realm of cricket’s commercial facets, Tata is set to retain the IPL title sponsorship rights until 2028, highlighting the commercial durability and growth potential of the league.
As for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while they delivered varied results through this series, the looming T20 World Cup will set a monumental stage for them to either reassert their indispensability or pass the baton to the next generation of cricketers. With the eyes of millions and the stakes high, the upcoming tournament will undoubtedly be an enthralling chapter in Indian cricket.
