India squad for Afg T20s: Will Rohit, Virat be back for shortest format?

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not played any T20 international since India's humiliating loss to eventual champions England in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

India's all-format skipper Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli could be back to playing T20s as India announces its squad for the Afghanistan series. The three-match T20 international series between India and Afghanistan will begin on January 11 with the first match at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh.

India’s return from the 2022 T20 World Cup debacle

Neither Rohit nor Kohli has played any T20 international since India’s humiliating 10-wicket defeat against England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2023. Though they played in the 2023 IPL, the Indian batting greats have avoided the shortest format in a One Day International (ODI) World Cup year in 2023.

With the T20 World Cup 2024 approaching and the Cape Town Test ending in just one and a half days, Kohli and Rohit would have had enough time to recover from Tests and get ready for the T20s with the Indian team.

Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya’s absence

Suryakumar Yadav injured his leg on a South Africa tour in December last year and has been ruled out for several weeks. Hardik Pandya, who was injured during the ODI World Cup, is yet to prove his fitness. With these two mainstays of the T20I side out, senior men Kohli and Rohit might step up according to several media reports.

Bumrah, Siraj rested

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the two senior-most bowlers of the white ball team, will also not be available for selection for the Afghanistan series after bowling stellar spells in South Africa. They will be busy preparing for the five-match Test series at home against England, which will begin in late January.