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BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirms this; he also says that it is mandatory for centrally contracted players to play domestic cricket when fit.
ESPNcricinfo Staff
Rohit Sharma will lead India in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said this today while speaking to the media at an event in Rajkot.
This will be the second time that Rohit has led India in a T20 World Cup, having also done so in 2022. In that tournament, played in Australia, India lost the semi-final against England, the eventual champions. Rohit did not appear in T20Is after that, and did not play a single T20I in 2023. But he was called up again in January 2024 to lead against Afghanistan. That move by the selectors seemed to indicate that Rohit was almost certain to lead the World Cup, which will be played in the United States and the West Indies in June. Shah, today, confirmed the same.
“The fact that he came back after a year to lead the Afghanistan series recently meant that he was obviously going to (lead the T20 World Cup),” Shah said at an event to rename the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium to Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium. .
Under Rohit, India lost last year’s ODI World Cup final at home, and days later, Suryakumar Yadav was leading the T20I team against Australia. Suryakumar also led India in the shorter format in South Africa in December, and Mumbai Indians announced that Hardik Pandya would take over the captaincy of the franchise from Rohit. Rohit then returned against Afghanistan in January. After getting ducks in the first two matches, he scored 121 not out, becoming the first man to score five T20I hundreds.
Shah said that while Rohit will lead India in the World Cup, Hardik, who had led India in the shortest format in several series in 2023, remains the main long-term option. Shah said Rohit’s short-term retirement was necessary because Hardik was injured during the ODI World Cup. “In T20s, Hardik will be the captain for sure (in the future).
“Rohit has the ability, we know that. As he showed in the ODI World Cup, where we won 10 matches in a row until the final. I am confident that India will lift the T20 World Cup 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in Barbados.”
Will Virat Kohli play in the 2024 T20 World Cup?
Like Rohit, the Indian selection committee, led by former pacer Ajit Agarkar, had also called up Virat Kohli for the T20I series against Afghanistan. And like Rohit, Kohli also returned to the format for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
When asked today if Kohli will be part of the main event in June, Shah simply said: “We will talk about him (soon).” Kohli had opted out of the first match of the Afghanistan series due to personal reasons, but he played the last two matches, scoring 29 and a duck.
Since then, Kohli has not played as he also opted out of the England Test series due to personal reasons. Shah said the BCCI will continue to support Kohli but did not offer any further details on his absence. “If a person, for the first time in his 15-year career, asks for a personal leave, he has the right. Virat is not a player who asks for a leave for no reason. We have to trust our player and support him.”
Will India travel to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan? Government’s call, says Shah
Shah was also asked if India would travel to Pakistan next year to play in the Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to be held in February-March. Shah said that was not the BCCI’s decision but the Indian government’s decision.
“India’s position (on traveling to Pakistan) would be based on what the government decides,” he said.
Pakistan traveled to India for the 2023 World Cup but just before that, in August-September last year, the Asia Cup, organized by the PCB, was played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India playing all their matches in Sri Lanka. With political ties between the two countries strained, India has not traveled to Pakistan for a cricket series since the 2008 Asia Cup.
It is mandatory for contracted players to play domestic cricket, says Shah
Shah also said that it is mandatory for centrally contracted players, as well as those in the broader Indian pool shortlisted by national selectors, to play domestic cricket tournaments as per instructions. Shah said he spoke to Agarkar recently and gave him a “free hand” to take calls on the matter.
Shah’s opinion was sought on this specifically because there have been doubts over wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who has not been playing in the Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand despite being excluded from India’s squad for the ongoing England Test series. .
Shah said that while he would not specifically draw attention to Kishan, he would soon send a directive that all fit centrally contracted players must be available for selection in domestic cricket. “Tomorrow I am going to write a letter saying that if the chairman of selectors, the coach or the captain tells you that you have to play red-ball cricket, then you have to play. We will follow the advice of the medical staff at the NCA (National Academy of Cricket). Cricket).On the physical condition of the player. If you are fit, it will not be considered any excuse (for not playing).
“This applies to all centrally contracted players, they have to play. The player cannot decide his future, the selectors have to decide that. If the player is good in red ball, he has to play (the format).”