Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar has been appointed chairman of India’s senior men’s selection committee. With this new responsibility, Agarkar will face challenging decisions, particularly regarding the T20I future of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. While Rohit and Kohli are in West Indies for the upcoming Test and ODI assignments, Rahul is recovering from a knee injury. Rohit and Kohli have not been selected for the T20I series, raising questions about their future in the game’s shortest format.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes that Ajit Agarkar will have to make tough decisions regarding the T20I future of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. Chopra highlights that the previous selectors had made a call regarding their roles in T20 cricket, but Agarkar will need to decide how to move forward with their involvement. He emphasizes the need for a plan to ensure a smooth transition within India’s T20I setup.
“Tough calls to be taken, honestly speaking. Why am I saying that? Rohit Sharma as a captain after 2023? Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul as T20 players, that’s a call the previous selectors have taken, but how do you go forward with that?” Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
Chopra raises the question of when to start phasing out senior players. He clarifies that phasing out is not the correct term but rather a process of moving in a different direction and introducing new players. Agarkar must address when and how this transition should occur, along with effective communication strategies.
“Then when do you start phasing out the seniors? Phase out, perhaps, is a wrong word, but phasing out means you want to start moving in a different direction. So how will you do that? When will you do that? What will be the communication?” he added.
Chopra believes that Agarkar can make tough decisions, given his previous experience as the selector of Mumbai. He mentions that Agarkar’s ability to make difficult choices led to his resignation from the Mumbai selectors’ role. Chopra highlights the immense respect Agarkar commands from his peers and suggests that he is the right person to take on the challenge of making tough calls regarding the T20I future of senior players.
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“I am expecting all that from Ajit. When Ajit was Mumbai’s selector, something similar happened, and that is why he probably had to resign in the end. He has got immense respect from his peers, and he is the one who can take the tough calls,” he concluded.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not played a T20I match since India’s defeat in the World Cup semi-final against England in Australia last year. Their exclusion from the T20I squad raises speculation about their potential return in the future.
