There are cricket fans who believe that this T20 World Cup may be the final opportunity for the great team of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to represent India in the game’s shortest format.
Reports surfaced prior to the 2024 T20 World Cup suggesting that the selectors were considering the prospect of Virat and Rohit being left off of the 15-man roster. Fourteen months had passed since the 2022 T20 World Cup, when the two legendary cricket players had last competed in T20 cricket. Nonetheless, to the delight of Indian cricket enthusiasts, they made themselves available for selection during the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this year.
Following his absence from the opening T20I match, Kohli scored 29 and 0 in the subsequent two matches. In the final Twenty20 International, the Indian skipper, who had failed to score in the preceding two matches, came back with an undefeated 121 off 69 balls.
While Rohit was hot and cold during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kohli was incredibly consistent. With a strike rate of 154.69 and an average of 61.75 from 15 matches, the Delhi hitter finished as the league’s top run scorer, surpassing his previous best in an IPL season with 741 runs. Rohit, on the other hand, finished with 417 runs with a strike rate of 150 and an average of 32.08.
How are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli doing in the T20 World Cup 2024 thus far?
So far in the 20-team league, Kohli hasn’t been able to duplicate his IPL success. He is down to five runs scored in three games. While everything was going on, Rohit opened the game against Ireland with a half-century but left for 13 and 3 in the next two games.
After victories over Pakistan, Ireland, and the United States, the Men in Blue have advanced to the Super Eight stage of the tournament. A soggy outfield forced them to postpone their last matchup with Canada in the first round. As the T20 World Cup moves closer to the finish, Indian fans will want their lucky team to perform at its highest level.
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For Kohli and Rohit, it may be a fairytale farewell to their Twenty20 international careers if India wins the championship. For India to have a chance of winning an ICC crown, their performances in the upcoming games would be critical. Prodigies abound in Indian cricket, and the gifted youth would be fervently trying to leave their mark on the national squad. Since the team management has chosen to start with Rohit and Kohli, the gifted Yashasvi Jaiswal is already on the bench. Other talented young people, such as Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhishek Sharma, are just awaiting their chance to shine on the global scene.
At this point, Rohit is 37 years old, while Kohli is 35. 2026 is the planned year for the next T20 World Cup. It’s possible that both players will opt to hang up their boots in the game’s shortest version and concentrate on growing their careers in the longer formats. Over their distinguished careers, both players have consistently put the needs of the team ahead of their own. It should go without saying that they will make a decision that best serves the squad.
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