Rohit Sharma Confirmed as Captain for India at 2024 T20 World Cup

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has announced Rohit Sharma will lead India at the T20 World Cup in June.

Jay Shah announced during an event in Rajkot on Wednesday that India will participate in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the Caribbean and the USA.

This decision comes after India’s loss to Australia in the final of the 2023 World Cup, which has sparked discussions about the return of senior batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the T20 squad for the upcoming tournament in June.

In the 2023 final at Ahmedabad, despite not clinching the World Cup after 10 consecutive victories, we captured hearts. I want to assure you that in the 2024 T20 World Cup, in Barbados, under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, we will proudly fly the flag of India,” Shah concluded his speech with this promise.

Why Rohit Sharma?

Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, India faced defeat in last year’s ODI World Cup final on home soil. Following this, Suryakumar Yadav took charge of the T20I team against Australia, and subsequently led the team during the series in South Africa in December.

Mumbai Indians then announced that Hardik Pandya would replace Rohit as the captain of the franchise. Rohit made his return against Afghanistan in January, initially struggling with two ducks before marking a remarkable comeback with an unbeaten 121, thus becoming the first player to achieve five T20I centuries.

Jay Shah emphasized that while Rohit sharma will lead India in the upcoming World Cup, Hardik, who has previously captained the T20I side, remains a crucial long-term option. He noted that Rohit’s short-term return was necessitated by Hardik’s injury during the ODI World Cup.

Shah expressed confidence in Rohit’s leadership abilities, citing India’s impressive performance in the ODI World Cup where they won 10 consecutive matches until the final. He reiterated his belief that India will emerge victorious in the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in Barbados

Will Virat Kohli Play T20 2024 World Cup?

The inclusion of Virat Kohli in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad remains uncertain at this time. India’s selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, had recalled Kohli for the T20I series against Afghanistan, marking his return to the format since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

However, when questioned about Kohli’s participation in the upcoming tournament, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah stated, “We will talk about him [soon].” Kohli had opted out of the first match of the Afghanistan series due to personal reasons but returned to play the final two games, scoring 29 and a duck.

Subsequently, Kohli has not participated in matches, including opting out of the England Test series for personal reasons. Shah affirmed that the BCCI will continue to support Kohli but provided no further elaboration on his absence.

Shah emphasized Kohli’s right to request personal leave, acknowledging that Kohli is not a player who would do so without valid reasons. He emphasized the importance of trusting and supporting the player during such circumstances.

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Harshit Maggon
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