Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra raised considerations over middle-order batter KL Rahul’s omission from the squad in opposition to Afghanistan, particularly when he and skipper Rohit Sharma each put up disappointing numbers throughout ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, however the ‘Hitman’ obtained an opportunity to return to the nationwide T20I facet. Star opener Rohit Sharma and batter Virat Kohli returned to India’s T20I squad in opposition to Afghanistan because the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday revealed a 16-player roster for a three-match T20I sequence, beginning on January 11. The senior duo made a comeback to India’s T20I setup for the primary time for the reason that finish of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, in what’s a serious improvement for the facet forward of the T20 World Cup 2024.

But KL Rahul remained absent from the facet. To this, Chopra questioned on his Youtube Channel that what fallacious KL had executed, particularly after having a superb ICC Cricket World Cup final 12 months with the bat. He additionally identified that Rohit did not do effectively in T20 WC 2022 and did effectively within the 50-over match subsequent 12 months to earn his means again within the group.

“When you want to go back to your seniors, what is Rahul’s mistake? If you are making the team based on the last T20 World Cup performance, both Rohit and Rahul did not do well. Both are in the same boat,” stated Aakash on his channel.

“After that, both have done well, if we see the last World Cup, the ODI one. Then both names should have been there. Rahul even keeps and bats down the order now. So you could have played him there as well. However, Rahul is not there but Rohit is. Virat Kohli is there. You were not looking to keep him for the last one year,” he added.

Rohit (116 runs in six matches at a mean of 19.33 and a strike charge of above 106 with a fifty) and KL (128 runs in six matches at a mean of 21.33, with a strike charge of above 120 and two fifties) had disappointing T20 World Cups in Australia, following which they didn’t play any T20Is additional.

To add to their depleting T20 stats, each had a mean IPL 2023 as effectively. Rohit scored simply 332 runs in 16 innings at a mean of 20.75 and a strike charge of over 132, with simply two fifties. KL’s season was reduce brief by an damage and scored 274 runs in 9 matches at a mean of 34.25 and two fifties, however at a sub-par strike charge of 113.22.

Virat alternatively was the highest run-scorer throughout T20 WC 2022 with 296 runs in six matches at a mean of 98.66, with a strike charge of 136.40 and 4 half-centuries. He additionally had a wonderful IPL 2023, scoring 639 runs in 14 matches at a mean of 53.25 and a strike charge of just about 140, with two centuries and 6 fifties.

All three although had record-breaking outings in Cricket World Cup 2023, with Virat scoring 765 runs in 11 matches at a mean of 95.62, with three tons and 6 fifties, and Rohit getting 597 runs in 11 matches at a mean of 54.27, with a century and three fifties at a strike charge of over 125. KL additionally served as a middle-order pillar with 452 runs in 10 innings at a mean of 75.33, with a century and two fifties.

Chopra additionally questioned why wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was included within the squad forward of Ishan Kishan regardless of not being featured in necessary sequence/squads forward of any main ICC tournaments. Notably, Ishan obtained himself launched from the Test squad throughout South Africa tour as a consequence of private causes simply earlier than its begin.

“Now Sanju Samson is there. For a long time, you were not selecting him in the important format for the year, but now suddenly, he has become a part of your scheme of things. Ishan Kishan is not there. He has given slightly patchy performances but that can be said about Shubman Gill also if you talk about T20Is,” he stated.

Both Samson and Kishan have patchy, inconsistent T20I information. While Samson has scored simply 374 runs in 21 innings at a mean of 19.68, with only one fifty and a strike charge of above 133, Kishan is barely higher with 796 runs in 32 innings at a mean of 25.67, with a strike charge of above 124 and 6 fifties.

Chopra additionally stated that solely considered one of Yashasvi Jaiswal or Gill will open with Rohit or Virat might get to open with Rohit to play primary ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav at quantity three.

“Going forward, only one of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill can open with Rohit Sharma. A school of thought could be to get Virat Kohli to open with Rohit because then only you will be able to play Suryakumar Yadav at No. 3, or else you would not be able to do that,” he stated.

Jaiswal has been spectacular in T20Is thus far, scoring 430 runs in 14 innings at a mean of 33.07 and a strike charge of over 159, with a century and three fifties. Gill alternatively has been underwhelming, with 326 runs in 13 innings at a mean of 26.00 and a strike charge of over 145, with 126 of them coming in a single inning. He additionally has a half-century within the format. Otherwise, his T20I stats are marked by lengthy streaks of single-digit scores.

The T20I sequence between India and Afghanistan will kick off on January 11 in Mohali; the second sport will likely be performed on January 14 in Indore; and the sequence will conclude on January 17 in Bengaluru.

The Afghanistan sequence is India’s final bilateral T20I sequence earlier than the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 1.

India’s Squad for 3 T20Is in opposition to Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.