Indian T20I Team To Undergo Big Transition After T20 World Cup 2022 Exit, Seniors Not To Play T20Is In 2023 – Reports

The T20I squad of the India National Cricket Team is all set to undergo a massive transition phase in the next 24 months after the team’s exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin will be gradually eased out, BCCI sources told on Thursday, November 10, reported PTI.

Rohit Sharma-led India faced a humiliating 10-wicket loss against the Three Lions led by Jos Buttler in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final game at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

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While batting first, India posted 168/6 on the board with the help of Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli’s half-centuries. England chased down the target in 16 overs, thanks to absolute destruction from Jos Buttler and Alex Hales.

Reportedly, the T20 World Cup 2022 was the last of the veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik in the shortest international format of the game. While the BCCI will leave it to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to make a call on their future in T20Is.

The next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be the 9th edition of the tournament, will be held in 2024 in the West Indies and the United States. The marquee tournament is still two years away and reportedly India will field a completely new T20I team in the 9th edition of the World Cup with Hardik Pandya as the captain of the side.

You will not see most of the India seniors playing T20 next year – BCCI source

A BCCI source told that most of the senior Indian players will focus more on the ODI and Test cricket in 2023 and they will not participate in T20I cricket.

“The BCCI never asks anyone to retire. It is an individual decision. But yes, with just a handful of T20Is scheduled in 2023, most of the seniors will concentrate on ODIs and Test matches in that cycle,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“You don’t need to announce retirement if you don’t want to. You will not see most of the seniors playing T20 next year,” the source added.

Meanwhile, Team India are set to play at least 25 ODIs in the lead-up to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. While the Men In Blue will only play 12 T20Is till the next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

India’s T20I journey will begin with a three-match series against New Zealand, which is scheduled to begin on November 18. Hardik Pandya has been named as the skipper of that team and Rishabh Pant has been named as his deputy.

Talking further about the transition, Washington Sundar is likely to be part of India’s T20I setup going forward with the departure of Ravichandran Ashwin. The tricky call will be on KL Rahul, who failed miserably in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Also, the contract of the mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton has ended with the conclusion of India’s T20 World Cup campaign.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Ghar Ka Ek Buzurg Hona Chahiye, Agar 7 Honge…”- Ajay Jadeja on Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy