Indian cricket fans and experts have been curious about the absence of players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from the T20I format, especially after witnessing India’s struggles against West Indies in T20Is.
Breaking his silence over his T20I absence, Rohit Sharma, India’s designated skipper across all formats, clarified that some players couldn’t play all formats, especially with the ODI World Cup in mind for this year.
Rohit emphasized that the focus for the Indian team is on the 50-over World Cup, so they have to manage players’ workloads accordingly. The crammed schedule and back-to-back matches have prompted the management to prioritize workload management for key players. Rohit falls under this category and has been given adequate rest to ensure his fitness and performance in crucial tournaments.
“At the moment I think it was made clear in the past that it’s a 50-over World Cup year for us. And for some of the guys, it’s not possible to play all formats. If you look at the schedule, there were back-to-back matches, so we decided on just looking at some players’ workload that we wanted to make sure that they get enough break time and manage them. I definitely fall in that (category) as well,” Rohit said at an event in the United States of America, as per Indian Express.
Workload management has been a significant point of discussion in Indian cricket, with the fitness of key players being crucial to the team’s plans for the ODI World Cup. As a result, the selectors have chosen to keep senior players like Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja, and others away from T20I squads to protect them from potential burnout or injuries.
In Rohit’s absence, Hardik Pandya has been leading the Indian team in the T20 format. Many former Indian cricketers have also voiced their opinions, suggesting that Hardik could be a strong contender for India’s T20I captaincy full-time after the conclusion of the ODI World Cup later this year.
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With India’s focus on building a balanced and formidable team for the ODI World Cup, the management’s decision to manage the workload of key players in the T20I format is seen as a strategic move to keep the players fresh and fit for the crucial tournament.
