Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta has expressed his surprise over the selectors recalling Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I team for the forthcoming three-match series against Afghanistan.
Neither Rohit nor Virat has featured in any T20Is for India since the semifinal loss against England in the 2022 T20 World Cup. With the senior batters absent from the squad for over a year, it appeared as though India had transitioned away from them in the shortest format of the game. However, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel sprung a huge surprise by naming both the batters in the India squad for the IND vs AFG series.
The selectors’ decision has sparked various reactions. While many have supported the call, others have expressed their reservation over the same, saying that it is a step in a backward direction. And Deep Dasgupta has also made it clear that he is not impressed with the decision to recall the senior batters in the T20I squad.
“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,” Deep Dasgupta told Star Sports.
Rinku Singh will miss out: Deep Dasgupta
Speaking further, Deep Dasgupta stated that the Indian batting order would almost entirely remain the same as the one which featured in the semifinal game against England in the T20 World Cup two years ago. He also said that the return of Rohit and Kohli would cost a place in the team for someone like Rinku Singh.
“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,” said Deep Dasgupta.
“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.
