"Selectors will have to..." - Virender Sehwag sends 'career-ending' warning to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli amid T20 WC flop show

Former India opener Virender Sehwag sent a warning to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to score runs against Australia in Super 8s tonight.

If Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma do not end up scoring something big tonight and in the upcoming matches, then Sehwag feels that questions will be raised. Those questions will not only be limited to Virat and Rohit but it will be extended to the chief selection committee as well.

Until now in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's bats have remained quiet. The duo, who are playing as an opening pair for the first time at an ICC event, have struggled to get going in the slow and uncomfortable conditions on offer. It will be fair to say that it hasn't been the easiest of tournaments to score runs.

While Rohit Sharma has scored 99 runs combined in the tournament from 5 matches, Virat Kohli has been able to amass only 66 runs. Rohit's highest score came against Ireland in the opening group stage match wherein he scored 52* but he didn't have a notable knock after it. Except for the quickfire knock against Bangladesh.

As for Virat Kohli, he had scored 5 runs from the 3 Group A matches against Ireland, Pakistan, and USA. In the Super 8s, he has scored 66 runs combined from the matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. In the last match, he registered his highest of the tournament when he amassed 37 runs at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium.

If India are to win the World T20 championship, then both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma need to fire from the top order. Flamboyant knocks of 30 off 10 or 40 off 20 won't work alone as the duo should be thinking of extending their innings. If that happens, then the Indian team will benefit highly and their chances of winning an ICC silverware at last will also become possible.

Virat's and Rohit's lack of runs prompted Sehwag to say that they should get in the scoresheet otherwise they will be scrutinized.

"This is a matter of concern because none of the openers have scored runs. Rohit scored 50 and Kohli had 24. So it doesn't matter how much we say that they are big players but in the end, they will have to score runs. If they cannot, then the selectors will have to think after the WC," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

What did Virender Sehwag say?

While speaking to Cricbuzz recently, Virender Sehwag highlighted that the Indian team hasn't really been tested in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Except for the match against Pakistan, Viru feels that they have not been challenged as such and the real task will be against the Australians.

Virender Sehwag then said that India might suffer for not facing a competitive side in the tournament initially which could test their skills. He also sounded a bit unsure about India's chances of reaching the T20 World Cup final and said that the most difficult situations will be against England and Australia.

"You haven't played a single game, except Pakistan, where you have been tested. You haven't played a match where you worry about your top order and middle order batters scoring runs. That situation hasn't arrived yet but it will come on Monday and then on 27th. Since that situation is yet to come, that's why things are just moving," Virender Sehwag concluded.