IND vs AFG: Ajit Agarkar Couldn't Decide On Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma's T20I Return, BCCI Had To Intervene At The Last Moment- Report

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made a comeback to the T20I team after a long gap of 14 months. Rohit Sharma is set to lead Team India in the forthcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli is also part of the squad.

Sharma and Kohli last played a T20I game during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 against England. However, they missed the shortest format last year to focus on the ODI World Cup and ICC World Test Championship 2023. In their absence, Hardik Pandya led a young squad in T20Is.

After the ODI World Cup 2023, Kohli and Sharma were expected to return to the shortest format. However, both were absent from the T20I series against Australia and South Africa. The duo made themselves unavailable for the series.

As a result, there were doubts about their inclusion in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in June this year. However, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently revealed the squad for IND vs AFG T20 series, naming Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad.

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BCCI Official Reveals Secret Reasons Behind Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli’s Return

While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s outstanding form and experience has been a key reason behind their presence in the T20I side, a BCCI official has revealed more secret reasons behind their inclusion.

On the condition of anonymity, a BCCI official told PTI that the selection committee needed to maintain the status quo over their return in T20Is. He also added that different stakeholders like broadcasters and sponsors are also key reasons when it comes to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

“Decisions on Rohit and Virat can’t solely be taken by the selection committee. There is a lot at stake, broadcasters, sponsors and you can’t pick one and drop the other. Ajit and his team needed to maintain a status quo,” he said.

Also Read: IND vs AFG: Why Did Indian Selectors Go Back To Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Instead Of Hardik Pandya? Former Indian Chief Selector Reveals

Sharma and Kohli have also made them available for selection in ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The tournament will be played in the West Indies and the US in June 2024. India is part of Group A with teams like Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and US in their pool.

IND vs AFG T20I Series To Witness 3 T20Is

India and Afghanistan will play three T20I games with each other. The IND vs AFG 1st T20I takes place on Thursday, January 11 at IS Bindra Stadium. The next two games will be played on January 14 and 17.

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Interestingly, Team India will only play three T20I games against Afghanistan ahead of T20 World Cup. They are scheduled to play a five-match Test series against England post-IND vs AFG series. The Test series will see five games from January to March 2024. Later, all India players will participate in IPL 2024.