In a surprising turn of events, Team India’s batting maestro, Virat Kohli, will be absent from the squad for the first T20I against Afghanistan, commencing on January 11. The announcement was made by head coach Rahul Dravid during a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, citing personal reasons for Kohli’s unavailability.
Kohli, who recently returned to the T20I squad after a hiatus, last played a T20I in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals against England.
Rohit Sharma, who also marked his return to the squad, is set to lead the side in the opening match in Mohali. The duo’s return generated significant speculation and criticism from some fans, given the impressive performances by young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh in their absence.
With the T20 World Cup looming in June and key players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav sidelined due to injuries, the BCCI has shown confidence in the experience of Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kohli, in particular, demonstrated his form by securing the fourth position among the leading run-scorers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season.
The absence of Kohli in the first T20I is expected to shake up the batting order, with Shubman Gill likely taking over the crucial no.3 position. Dravid confirmed that Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open for the side, while Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh are likely to retain their spots in the playing XI.
One area of suspense revolves around the first-choice wicketkeeper role, where Jitesh Sharma will compete against Sanju Samson. The T20I series against Afghanistan serves as India’s final assignment in the shortest format before gearing up for the five-Test series against England. The Indian Premier League season is anticipated to take place in March, April, and May, providing a crucial platform for players to fine-tune their skills ahead of the T20 World Cup.
India’s Playing 11 For The First T20I: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli
,Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh
Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
