There is a possibility that Virat Kohli will be excluded from the T20 World Cup to be held in West Indies and America in June. According to reports, the BCCI feels that Kohli will not like West Indies’ slow wickets and has tasked Ajit Agarkar with convincing Kohli to make room for the youngsters in T20.
Virat Kohli will have to perform brilliantly in IPL 2024 to get a place in the T20 World Cup squad. If a report in ‘Telegraph’ is to be believed, the selectors are reluctant to pick Kohli for the T20 World Cup as the management feels that the experienced player has failed to meet the team’s requirements in the shorter format.
Also Read: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report, IPL Records, Matches, IPL Matches [2023]
Kohli has not played T20I cricket since the T20 World Cup 2022, however, he was selected in the squad for the Afghanistan T20I series along with Rohit Sharma. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah later confirmed Rohit Sharma’s appointment as captain for the T20 World Cup, however, he remained tight-lipped when asked about Virat Kohli’s T20I future.
The report said that the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has left the issue of Kohli’s selection as it is a very sensitive issue and many are reluctant to interfere. Agarkar is understood to have spoken to Kohli about the much-needed change in T20Is, which Kohli tried to implement in the T20I series against Afghanistan, but without much success.
The management is confident that Ajit Agarkar will convince the veteran player to make way for the youngsters as Kohli does not like taking slow wickets in the West Indies. The BCCI feels that youngsters like Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dubey have a lot more to offer than Kohli in the T20 format.
Also Read: Gujarat Giants Women vs UP Warriorz Women Head to Head Records – WPL 2024
Meanwhile, reports suggest that KL Rahul is the preferred choice to get the wicketkeeper slot in the T20 World Cup squad, however, his fitness is still a matter of concern for the selectors. Dhruv Jurel was brilliant in the Test series against England and Jitesh Sharma impressed everyone with his storming batting in the T20 series against South Africa. The selectors will keep a close eye on the performances of the youngsters in the IPL and a good performance will pave the way for their selection in the T20 World Cup squad.
The provisional squad for the T20 World Cup is to be sent to the ICC by the first week of May.
