IND vs AFG: "Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Return Is Directionless.."- Deep Dasgupta

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were recalled by the BCCI selectors in the Indian T20I squad that was picked for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The first T20I match will be played in Mohali on Thursday, January 11.

The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were unavailable for selection due to injury concerns. While SKY is likely to have ankle surgery, Hardik is recovering from his hamstring injury that he survived in the ICC World Cup 2023. Both are expected to fit in time for IPL 2024.

The selectors rested regular players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah. Mohammed Shami meanwhile is eyeing a return before the England Test series at home.

Given injuries to key players and to manage the workload of key players, the management recalled the likes of Kohli and Rohit into the Indian T20I squad. While their return was taken by many as a positive move, Deep Dasgupta the former Indian cricketer said that this move by the BCCI takes them back to “square one”.

Slightly Surprised With Return Of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli: Deep Dasgupta

“I was slightly surprised because I thought the team had moved on from Rohit and Kohli. The main criticism was the lack of intent from the senior players in the last T20 World Cup. But then again, you need to keep in mind the kind of tracks you are expecting in the West Indies – are you expecting a 180 or 200-run wicket to 160-ish kind of tracks?

“To be very honest, I do not find any direction here for India in the last one year. If they had to go back to Kohli and Rohit…given the squads we had in the last one year, it is like going back to square one,” he said on Star Sports.

Dasgupta further said that with Kohli and Rohit returning to the T20I squad, the batting lineup for the next T20 World Cup would look almost similar to the one in the T20 World Cup 2022.

“If you look at the team India had against England (in 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal) and the one against Australia recently, Hardik, Jadeja and Bumrah and Siraj will be back, but the middle-order will remain the same. Kohli will play at No. 3, Surya at 4, Hardik at 5, Jitesh or Samson at 6, then Jadeja and the rest follow. So there won’t be any difference in that middle-order finisher role,” he added further.

The former Indian cricketer further added that Rinku Singh who has played at number six and has been groomed as a finisher for the last few months will miss out on the playing XI with the return of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav into the playing XI. In 12 appearances for India in T20Is, Rinku smashed 262 runs at a strike rate of 180 with a boundary every 3.6 balls.

“Someone like Rinku Singh will miss out. You have to pick one between Jitesh and Samson. I am talking about the T20 World Cup going forward. Rinku and Yashasvi had both impressed a lot, especially the former, because he plays a very specific and unique role and there aren’t much competitors for that spot as well. When Hardik and Surya will be available, I feel Rinku and Tilak will both miss out,” he concluded saying.

The India vs Afghanistan T20I series will be played between January 11-18 in Mohali, Indore, and Bengaluru respectively.

Also Read: IND vs AFG: Afghanistan Cricket Board Ease Sanctions On Naveen Ul Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, And Fazalhaq Farooqi After “Final Warning”