Suresh Raina has given his reaction on Virat Kohli’s return to the T20I team. The selectors sprung a big surprise by recalling Virat Kohli as well as Rohit Sharma for the ongoing three-match T20I series.
Both the batters had not played a T20I for Team India since the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup. It looked all over for them in T20I before the selectors decided to recall them for the series that is India’s last T20I assignment before this year’s T20 World Cup.
While there were calls from several quarters to recall Rohit after his stunning show in the ODI World Cup show last year, not many were expecting Virat Kohli to return to the T20I side as well. The decision has invited criticism from several quarters as many believe that recalling the former India captain is not a good move.
Suresh Raina on Virat Kohli’s return:
While the decision to recall Virat Kohli has met with criticism from several quarters, Suresh Raina has backed the move and has said that he would like to see his former teammate bat at No. 3 position in the lead up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
“I think Kohli should bat at No. 3. His experience will bring some solidity, especially in the challenging pitches in the US and the Caribbean. There are fearless, young cricketers like Jaiswal, Rinku Singh or Shubman Gill, but Rohit and Kohli will give the unit a lot of solidity. Their presence is very important when we chase a target, especially in a high-pressure event like the World Cup,” Raina told Sports 18.
Speaking further, Raina pointed out that the pitches in the West Indies and the USA for the T20 World Cup will be tricky and India will benefit from the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit. He also praised the senior batters for their performance in the ODI World Cup last year. Virat Kohli finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer while Rohit was the second highest run-scorer.
”If you look at the World Cup venues (in the USA and the West Indies), the wicket will be a bit tricky. India will need the experience of Rohit and Kohli there. Kohli is about to make 12000 runs in T20 cricket. Their form in the ODI World Cup was very good, and Rohit brings in a lot of intent to the dressing room as the leader as well,” said Raina.
Meanwhile, the T20 World Cup will be played in June this year. India have been clubbed together with Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and the USA in the same group. The Men in Blue will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5.
