Selectors are hesitant to include Virat Kohli in the Indian squad for this year’s ICC T20 World Cup. After a hiatus of over a year, the former Indian captain made his comeback to the T20 squad in January. Both he and Rohit Sharma were excluded from the T20I team following the 2022 T20 World Cup until their recall for the home series against Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series. In his return, while Sharma impressed with a century in the final match, Kohli managed scores of 29 and 0 in his two appearances.
While the BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, has confirmed Sharma’s spot in the World Cup, Kohli’s inclusion remains uncertain. Despite expectations that his performance against Afghanistan would secure his spot, recent reports indicate the possibility of Kohli being left out.
Reports from The Telegraph suggest that under Ajit Agarkar’s leadership, the selection committee and team management believe Kohli hasn’t met the team’s requirements in the T20 format.
The decision on Kohli’s World Cup participation has been reportedly left to chief selector Agarkar. With India’s last ICC trophy win in 2013, selectors are prepared to make significant decisions for the forthcoming event. According to sources, Kohli’s only chance to make the World Cup squad hinges on an outstanding performance in the upcoming IPL 2024. Currently, players like Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube rank higher in selection priority. Additionally, the pitch conditions in the West Indies, which tend to be slow, are thought to disadvantage Kohli.
The selection committee has been contemplating this decision for a while, and no indications of a plan change have emerged. The tentative team list for the T20 World Cup must be submitted to the ICC by the first week of May. India is placed in Group A with Pakistan, Ireland, the USA, and Canada, and will begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5
