Last Updated: December 29, 2022, 12:01 PM IST
With now new selector in radar, Chetan Sharma led committee was asked to pick the white ball squads against SL.
The former cricketer-turned commentator said by no means this is an end game for Kohli in T20I cricket, adding the selectors are asking him to give more time and focus to ODI cricket as this is a World Cup year.
As soon as the BCCI revealed the 15-man ODI and T20I squad against Sri Lanka, fans quickly got hold of one name which was missing: Virat Kohli. But this wasn’t a surprise at all as media reports had said that Kohli wouldn’t find a place in the side along side the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The media had got it right! Among them, there is Shikhar Dhawan as well whose India career seems to be over. At 36, ‘Gabbar’ isn’t getting younger and with the likes of Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill knocking on the door, chances are Dhawan is done for now.
However, the same can’t be said about Kohli who, according to Sanjay Manjrekar, is being asked to focus on ODIs as this is a World Cup year, adding that Kohli will now be pushed for his place as youngsters will get an opportunity against Sri Lanka.
“Virat Kohli had a pretty good World Cup, the former cricketer said. “I would have liked him to play as much international cricket as possible, just to be amongst the runs, hitting the ball virtually every week and be prepared for the match situation is a good thing,” Manjrekar was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.
“The thing is Virat Kohli will now constantly face pressure from others who are getting opportunities in his place.”
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In the absence of this experienced trio, the likes of Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi will bat in the middle order.
“We have seen what the young players have done like Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson when they’ve got the opportunity,” Manjrekar added. “So, yes, Virat Kohli is still very much in the plans after the World Cup he had and I’m sure he wants to keep being a member in the T20 side.”
The former cricketer-turned commentator said by no means this is an end game for Kohli in T20I cricket, adding the selectors are asking him to give more time and focus to ODI cricket as this is a World Cup year.
“Since this is 2023, the World Cup year, I guess India are looking to give him more one-day time and one-day cricket is a great format to get back into form. That is where Virat Kohli has shown he is an all-time great in the way he has played over the years, the consistency, and the match-winning ability.
“Test and one-day cricket has been his two greatest formats. So, somewhere, the selectors are looking at Kohli and saying, ‘Let’s get you to play more of 50-overs cricket.”
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