Wasim Akram says Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli important for T20Is for India

The debate surrounding the T20I future of veteran India batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has been doing the rounds in India cricket and it has also increased manifold after the conclusion of India’s Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign. Both players have been absent from India’s T20I lineup since the team’s 10-wicket defeat by England in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Adelaide last November.

Indian cricket team’s emphasis on integrating young talent into the T20I squad has been quite obvious, but then the remarkable performances of Rohit and Kohli in ODI cricket have now started another round of debates around including them for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024.

Speaking about this issue, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said it was important for India to include the duo for the T20 World Cup next year. “T20 World Cup is just a few months away. I will pick both. They will be the main players for India, no doubt about it. You need a little bit of experience in T20. You cannot solely rely on young guys,” Wasim Akram told Sportskeeda.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya has been leading the T20I team, and young talents like Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh have made excellent contributions. Wasim Akram is not alone in supporting the inclusion of Rohit and Kohli in T20Is.

Former India pacer and current Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has said that Rohit and Kohli should be in the mix despite their age since age alone should not be the sole criterion for determining their T20I future.

India is currently engaged in a five-match T20I series against Australia, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the team in the absence of the injured Hardik Pandya.