(BCCI Photo)
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played pivotal roles in India’s triumph at the recent T20 World Cup, marking the end of a 17-year wait for their second title in the format. Following their retirement after the final against South Africa in Barbados on June 29, Rohit, the highest run scorer in T20Is, and Kohli, who holds the T20 World Cup record for most runs, bid farewell to T20 cricket.
With their departure, India has already begun planning for the upcoming T20 World Cup, slated to be held in India and Sri Lanka in two years. Discussions on who will fill the void left by Rohit and Kohli are underway.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have emerged as frontrunners for the long-term replacements, showcasing their prowess while opening in the recent T20Is against Zimbabwe. However, contenders like Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad also remain in contention, ensuring a competitive selection process ahead.
During a Cricbuzz show, former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik was asked, “Who do you see in the places of Rohit and Kohli in the next T20 World Cup?” and in reply, he mentioned four names while adding that Jaiswal will definitely be part of the starting XI.
“First of all, they (Rohit and Kohli) are very hard to replace, but in the XI, I do think there are four choices at the moment. There’s Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Shubman Gill.”
“I think Yashasvi Jaiswal will definitely be starting in the XI in T20I cricket,” he added.
Jaiswal, a member of India’s victorious squad at the T20 World Cup 2024 held in the West Indies and the USA, did not feature in any of the team’s eight matches during the tournament.
Despite this, the 22-year-old, who debuted in T20Is just last year, found himself in India’s starting lineup for the final three T20Is against Zimbabwe earlier this month. His standout performance came in the fourth match in Harare on July 13, where he remained unbeaten with a scintillating 93 runs off just 53 deliveries.
