'Kohli must show he is a better option'

Speculation surrounds the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20I cricket, especially with regard to their involvement in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Both cricketers have been absent from T20Is since the T20 World Cup in Australia in November 2022. Although there were anticipation about their comeback following the ODI World Cup, the BCCI recently declared their ongoing break from T20Is, extending into the South Africa tour.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes Kohli and Rohit's return to T20Is should not coincide closely with the World Cup. He emphasised the importance of simplifying the approach, advocating for team selection based on current form in the lead-up to the tournament, considering the limited number of international matches before the event.

'Who knows what's in store in life? I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I believe the approach should be extremely simple. We have played a lot of World Cups and haven't been able to win them,' said Manjrekar.

Reflecting on India's ICC trophy drought since the 2013 Champions Trophy, Manjrekar highlighted the need for a straightforward approach in team selection.

'We are maybe playing slightly different cricket in the final stages of World Cups. When something goes out of your hand, simplify it. Pick your team based on form close to the World Cup.'

Manjrekar stressed Kohli's need to outshine young players and Rohit's competition with Hardik Pandya for T20 batter and captain roles.

'Virat Kohli will have to show that he is a better option than the youngsters who are playing currently,' said Manjrekar, 'and Rohit Sharma as T20 batter and captain versus Hardik Pandya, the T20 batter, all-rounder and captain.'