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After failing to win the 2023 ODI World Cup, the India star trio of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah have requested a break from the white-ball series against South Africa. Reportedly, Rohit and Bumrah are automatic choices in the playing XI, while Kohli's spot in the T20 World Cup squad is in jeopardy.
The T20 World Cup 2024 will occur in June next year in the West Indies and the United States. Ahead of the quadrennial showpiece, the Men in Blue are scheduled to play six T20Is, including three against the Proteas and three against Afghanistan.
In a five-hour-long meeting held in New Delhi with skipper Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, the top BCCI officials, secretary Jay Shah, vice president Rajeev Shukla, and treasurer Ashish Shelar, prepared a roadmap for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
While Rohit amassed 597 runs at a strike rate of 125 in the recently concluded ODI World Cup, Virat broke two records of Sachin Tendulkar and became the only batsman to go past the 700-run mark in a single World Cup edition. According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the BCCI officials informed Rohit that they want him to captain Team India in the shortest-format World Cup, while Kohli's spot in the World Cup squad is not guaranteed despite being the Player of the Tournament in the CWC 2023.
Ishan Kishan preferred at No.3
Jagran quoted a BCCI official, who was present in the meeting, saying that the selectors and the board are looking for a player who can play attacking cricket as soon as he arrives on the pitch. Currently, Ishan Kishan appears to be the frontrunner to replace Virat Kohli and grab the No.3 spot in the T20 World Cup squad following his couple of decent knocks while batting at that position against Australia in the T20I series.
However, Kohli, the leading T20I run-scorer in the world, would be considered for the No.3 role following his IPl 2024 performance. Apart from the No.3 position, the officials will also reportedly look for either Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill to partner with skipper Rohit at the top, while the other will feature in the squad as a backup opener.