Former England captain Kevin Pietersen believes that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s participation in the next T20 World Cup will be heavily influenced by their success in the upcoming Indian Premier League. The Indian veterans were not included in India’s T20 Plan following the end of the 2022 T20 World Cup, as team management preferred younger players in the shorter format of the game.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been absent from the format since last year’s T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya has since captained the side in the format, and team India has seen the development of numerous youngsters this year. It will be interesting to see the team management go back to the experienced duo for the marquee event.
Speaking to IANS, Kevin Pietersen feels that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have performed very well to earn their spot in the India team but believes their chances of being part of the 2024 T20 World Cup are based on their performance in the upcoming Indian Premier League.
“They ( Kohli and Rohit) have every chance, would have to see how they go in IPL, check them in the IPL Because they have been so incredible servants to Indian cricket, you have to give them the respect and you have to ask them that according to form whether they fancy their chances or not. They are fabulous cricketers,” Kevin Pietersen said.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have just returned from a spectacular ODI World Cup. They finished as the tournament’s top two run scorers. While Kohli scored 765 runs (the most runs in the history of the ODI World Cup), Rohit scored 597 runs at a brilliant strike rate of over 125 and can be key to the team’s success in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
They Have Dedicated Their Life To Playing India Deserve The Respect – Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen believes that the IPL and T20 World Cups next year will be the end for certain Indian players. He believes that, with the World Cup starting immediately after the IPL, the latter’s form will be significant and asserted that they deserve respect for their contribution to Indian cricket over the years.
“IPL form is going to go a long way because the final of the IPL and T20 World Cup 2024 wouldn’t have much gap in between, Might be a swansong for a couple of them. Let’s wait and see, those kind of players who have dedicated their life to playing for India deserve the respect too,” Kevin Pietersen added.
At 35 and 36, respectively, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s involvement in the forthcoming T20 World Cup has sparked a lot of discussion among experts and fans in recent days. Rohit Sharma will be looking to add to his six IPL titles (five as MI captain), while Virat Kohli will be hoping to break the curse and win his first crown.