'Rinku Singh will miss out...': BCCI's 'directionless' Kohli Rohit move called out as major 2022 T20WC error feared

There was a lot of anticipation over the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20I cricket and whether the selectors intend to pick them for the World Cup in June. The wait ended on Sunday evening when the Ajit Agarkar led BCCI selection committee called back the two veteran cricketers for the three match T20I series against Afghanistan, thus confirming their presence in the T20 World Cup squad.

But while the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Sunil Gavaskar backed their comeback to the format with India requiring experience in West Indies conditions, few have called out BCCI for the move termed as "directionless" with former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta reminding the selectors of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

BCCI's squad selection for Afghanistan T20I series has received mixed reactions Kohli and Rohit have stayed out T20Is since India's semifinal knockout in the World Cup match against England in 2022. With the two modern day legends having their focus on the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship, India nurtured a gang of young talents, fresh from their impressive shows in the 2023 IPL season.

Over the course of 16 T20I games post IPL last year, India saw the emergence of Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jitesh Sharma, making it challenging for the selectors and the team management to pick and choose for every game and series amid the presence of existing players in the T20 Word Cup fray.

Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here ALSO READ: Rohit, Kohli's T20I return drawback outlined as former India selector points out major T20 World Cup headache Speaking to Star Sports on Monday, Dasgupta reckoned that while it looked like the selectors were moving on from Rohit and Kohli, who were criticised for their archaic style approach in the format after the last T20 World Cup, going back to them, brings India "back to square one".

‘Thought the team had moved on from Rohit and Kohli’ "I was slightly surprised because I thought the team had moved on from Rohit and Kohli. The main criticism was the lack of intent from the senior players in the last T20 World Cup. But then again, you need to keep in mind the kind of tracks you are expecting in the West Indies are you expecting a 180 or 200 run wicket to 160 ish kind of tracks? To be very honest, I do not find any direction here for India in the last one year.

If they had to go back to Kohli and Rohit...given the squads we had in the last one year, it is like going back to square one," he said. The ex India wicketkeeper batter further pointed out that Indian batting order would almost entirely remain the same as the one which featured in the semifinal game against England two years back.

"If you look at the team India had against England (in 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal) and the one against Australia recently, Hardik, Jadeja and Bumrah and Siraj will be back, but the middle order will remain the same. Kohli will play at No. 3, Surya at 4, Hardik at 5, Jitesh or Samson at 6, then Jadeja and the rest follow.

So there won't be any difference in that middle order finisher role," he said. Dasgupta also felt that with India going back to Kohli and Rohit and with injured Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav certain to be part of the World Cup squad, Rinku, who has been a revelation for the team down the order as a finisher, might miss out on a place in the XI.

In 12 appearances for India in T20Is, Rinku smashed 262 runs at a strike rate of 180 with a boundary every 3.6 balls. "Someone like Rinku Singh will miss out. You have to pick one between Jitesh and Samson. I am talking about the T20 World Cup going forward. Rinku and Yashasvi had both impressed a lot, especially the former, because he plays a very specific and unique role and there aren't much competitors for that spot as well.

You will get plenty of top order batters, but there are rarely batters who can perform at No. 7 or 8. Rinku and Tilak might play against Afghanistan, but going forward, when Hardik and Surya will be available, I feel Rinku and Tilak will both miss out," he concluded. Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Catch all the Latest Cricket News , Live Cricket Score and India vs South Africa match updates along with Cricket Schedule and other related updates on Hindustan Times Website and APPs SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Share Via Copy Link ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Sports Desk At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports.

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