The BCCI is making efforts to convince Rohit Sharma to lead the India team in the T20 format despite his initial reluctance following the World T20 semi-final exit. The board is set to announce the three squads for the South Africa assignment in New Delhi, with the BCCI’s secretary and convenor of the selection committee Jay Shah scheduled to meet chairman of the panel Ajit Agarkar in the national capital to discuss the squads and prepare a roadmap for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
With regular T20 skipper Hardik Pandya sidelined due to an ankle ligament tear sustained during the ODI World Cup, the decision lies between entrusting Suryakumar Yadav with the responsibility or trusting Rohit’s leadership skills which earned widespread praise in the last seven weeks.
Rohit had previously expressed his reluctance to play the T20 format, but his commendable leadership in the ODI World Cup has persuaded the BCCI to consider his continuation in white-ball cricket until the T20 World Cup in June-July.
A source within the BCCI mentioned that if Rohit agrees to lead the T20Is, he would likely also lead in the T20 World Cup. However, if Rohit declines, Suryakumar will continue as captain for the T20Is in South Africa.
Virat Kohli has requested a break from white-ball games in South Africa, and the selection for both him and KL Rahul will depend on their performances in the IPL. The workload management is also a concern as India is scheduled to play six white-ball matches in 11 days, with the Test series beginning shortly thereafter on December 26.
In other squad news, Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are expected to make a comeback into the Test squad after long injury lay-offs. This development may potentially impact the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad.
Jasprit Bumrah is fit and keen to continue playing Test cricket and will be accompanied by Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur. Mukesh Kumar is also a strong contender for the reserve pacer’s slot. The spin lineup will feature Ravindra Jadeja as the first-choice spinner in overseas conditions, along with the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin and either Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav. Kona Bharat will be considered if Rahul opts out of keeping wickets.
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