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ADELAIDE: The ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia is likely to feature Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin‘s last appearance in the format as the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee began the transition phase in the shortest version of the game with the 2024 edition in the West Indies and the USA in mind.
Hardik Pandya was named T20I captain on Monday for the short three-match series in New Zealand, starting November 18 (four days after T20WC final).
A look at the team gives enough indication that the Gen Next is ready to take over after the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both asked for rest and KL Rahul may have taken a break due to personal reasons. They might play the shortest format for India, but a change in attitude cannot be ignored.
But Karthik, who played 27 T20Is in 2022 until the South Africa match, was ignored for the three matches against New Zealand.
Nor Ashwin, who was brought back into the T20 scheme of things after four years at the insistence of captain Rohit Sharma.
“The World Cup is going to end in a few days and that’s why we have to decide who to rest or not. He (Karthik) has performed and he is available for us. But this time we just thought to have a different set of players after the World Cup,” chairman of selectors Sharma told reporters in a virtual interaction after announcing an unprecedented four teams for two separate away series.
While Sharma refused to divulge details about Karthik’s injury, he also declined to discuss why the veteran paceman needed workload management as he has played only 27 T20s for India in the last four months.
“The medical team is looking at him, it’s an internal matter, so it’s not wise to announce anything here. He’s part of the World Cup and he’s fine.”
But it is understood that Indian cricket is finally ready to move past Karthik. In 2019, the World Cup ended its 50-year career and 2022 might just be its international T20 swansong.
Reportedly, with Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and captain Hardik already in the squad, the trio will be groomed as designated finishers.
Shubman Gill’s entry could well mean that Rahul, not the best T20 opener, could soon be phased out of the shortest format in a systematic manner.
The new approach will require fresh faces with no apparent baggage.
What happens to Kohli, Rohit?
With just one year left for the 50-over World Cup in India, both captain Rohit and Kohli will focus on ODIs along with Test cricket. But that doesn’t mean they will leave T20Is. At least that’s not the indication they gave.
“The selection committee consciously started this transition phase as T20Is are not given priority in the year 2023. ODIs and therefore some players can be tried out in certain slots and seen if they fit in those slots. T20Is become important again in 2024 in World T20 year,” said a BCCI source.
But Prithvi Shaw, easily one of the best talents in India, is ignored time and time again.
“We are constantly in touch with Prithvi. He is doing well and he will definitely get his chance soon,” Sharma said.
Shaw scored 285 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 191 plus in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and yet he missed the bus.
Ravi Bishnoi will also find it difficult to miss the bus as Kuldeep Yadav’s return means that three wrist spinners cannot play in the same line-up.
Is this last selection meeting for Chetan Sharma’s committee
It has never happened that selectors have named four squads for two different tours on a single day, as Sharma has done for New Zealand and Bangladesh.
When asked if this was his committee’s last meeting or not, he was evasive: “I don’t know about that”.
Sharma’s committee, which also has Debasish Mohanty (East), Harvinder Singh (Central) and Sunil Joshi (South), has often struggled due to lack of consistency in selections and there is strong buzz of some of them changing can be once new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) takes charge.
Hardik Pandya was named T20I captain on Monday for the short three-match series in New Zealand, starting November 18 (four days after T20WC final).
A look at the team gives enough indication that the Gen Next is ready to take over after the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both asked for rest and KL Rahul may have taken a break due to personal reasons. They might play the shortest format for India, but a change in attitude cannot be ignored.
But Karthik, who played 27 T20Is in 2022 until the South Africa match, was ignored for the three matches against New Zealand.
Nor Ashwin, who was brought back into the T20 scheme of things after four years at the insistence of captain Rohit Sharma.
“The World Cup is going to end in a few days and that’s why we have to decide who to rest or not. He (Karthik) has performed and he is available for us. But this time we just thought to have a different set of players after the World Cup,” chairman of selectors Sharma told reporters in a virtual interaction after announcing an unprecedented four teams for two separate away series.
While Sharma refused to divulge details about Karthik’s injury, he also declined to discuss why the veteran paceman needed workload management as he has played only 27 T20s for India in the last four months.
“The medical team is looking at him, it’s an internal matter, so it’s not wise to announce anything here. He’s part of the World Cup and he’s fine.”
But it is understood that Indian cricket is finally ready to move past Karthik. In 2019, the World Cup ended its 50-year career and 2022 might just be its international T20 swansong.
Reportedly, with Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and captain Hardik already in the squad, the trio will be groomed as designated finishers.
Shubman Gill’s entry could well mean that Rahul, not the best T20 opener, could soon be phased out of the shortest format in a systematic manner.
The new approach will require fresh faces with no apparent baggage.
What happens to Kohli, Rohit?
With just one year left for the 50-over World Cup in India, both captain Rohit and Kohli will focus on ODIs along with Test cricket. But that doesn’t mean they will leave T20Is. At least that’s not the indication they gave.
“The selection committee consciously started this transition phase as T20Is are not given priority in the year 2023. ODIs and therefore some players can be tried out in certain slots and seen if they fit in those slots. T20Is become important again in 2024 in World T20 year,” said a BCCI source.
But Prithvi Shaw, easily one of the best talents in India, is ignored time and time again.
“We are constantly in touch with Prithvi. He is doing well and he will definitely get his chance soon,” Sharma said.
Shaw scored 285 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 191 plus in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and yet he missed the bus.
Ravi Bishnoi will also find it difficult to miss the bus as Kuldeep Yadav’s return means that three wrist spinners cannot play in the same line-up.
Is this last selection meeting for Chetan Sharma’s committee
It has never happened that selectors have named four squads for two different tours on a single day, as Sharma has done for New Zealand and Bangladesh.
When asked if this was his committee’s last meeting or not, he was evasive: “I don’t know about that”.
Sharma’s committee, which also has Debasish Mohanty (East), Harvinder Singh (Central) and Sunil Joshi (South), has often struggled due to lack of consistency in selections and there is strong buzz of some of them changing can be once new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) takes charge.
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