Xtra Time Web Desk: The newly appointed national selection committee led by Chetan Sharma on Friday sent a strong message by not including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20 side for the upcoming series against New Zealand at home. The writing was on the wall and now it is clear that the selectors and BCCI wants to move ahead leaving aside the two senior players in T20 format. The star duo was not selected in Indian T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand at home. This is despite, both players making themselves available for the selection.
It was more or less certain that the senior players will not be preferred in T20 format after the poor show in T20 World Cup in Australia last year. The Indian cricket board is in favour of giving more opportunities to youngsters keeping in mind the T20 World Cup in 2024.
The BCCI top hierarchy wants to move on from the duo as well as the likes of Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R.Ashwin & Dinesh Karthik. Selectors also did not consider KL Rahul for the T20 or ODI Squad. But then the cricketer from Karnataka is getting married this month.
Hardik Pandya will continue to lead the T20I squad. The new selection committee also picked Prithvi Shaw, who last played for India in July 2021, in the T20I squad.