Virat Kohli (L) and Rohit Sharma (R) during the T20 World Cup 2022 (AP Photo)
Former India opener Aakash Chopra said that KL Rahul, Rohit and Virat would find it difficult to adjust to the T20 template set by the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill.
Is it time for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to step aside from T20Is to make way for youngsters?
This has become the biggest talking point ever since former head coach Ravi Shastri’s bold claim. Talking to ESPN Cricinfo, he said that Virat and Rohit should keep themselves fresh for ODIs and Tests while the shortest format of the game should be youth inspired.
“Players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are proven, you know what they are. I would go in the direction of bleeding young players right now so that they get opportunities and exposure while you keep the likes of Virat and Rohit fresh for ODI cricket and Test cricket,” suggested Shastri.
Also Read: Gujarat Titans thrash sunrises Hyderabad will book playoff spot
IPL 2023 saw some exciting young talents knocking on the doors of the selectors as hard as they could. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh and even outside player Shivam Dubey to name a few. All of them have been consistently good this season and can no longer be ignored. Former India opener and commentator Aakash Chopra has also spoken on similar lines, adding that the experienced now needs to take a back seat.
Speaking at a select media interaction, Chopra said that it would be difficult for KL Rahul, Rohit and Virat to adjust to the T20 template set by the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill.
He said, ‘Initially I will not see his (Rahul’s) case as isolated in any way. I feel the next generation of cricketers is almost getting ready for this format and players from the previous generation will find it difficult to be a part of the new template,” Aakash Chopra was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
“India, as they said in the last T20 World Cup that they are looking for a new template to play T20 cricket, continue to play in the same fashion, you will see many players from the previous generation will not be part of the team . T20 scheme of things,” he said.
Read this also | ipl 2023 latest score table update
KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been criticized for their poor strike rates in the current IPL season. On the other hand, young batsmen like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are scoring runs at a much better strike rate than these established stars. This has triggered a debate among fans on whether the experienced players should move on from T20Is and focus on the other two formats.
“It is an ODI World Cup year, so anyway India will play less T20 matches in the rest of the year, but whatever matches they play, I don’t think you will see Kohli, Rohit or Rahul playing. You don’t even know when Rahul will actually be available. That’s why I am saying that things will change in the next 90 days.
“Rinku has a first-class average of 60 while Yashasvi has scored over 1000 runs in his short domestic career so far. So they are performing in other formats as well, it is just that when IPL happens the world focuses more on one player.”
