India may not select Virat Kohli in their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 squad which will be played in the USA and West Indies from June 1, reported The Telegraph India on Monday.
Following the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup where India were handed a humiliating 10-wicket loss against England in the semi-final, Kohli didn’t play a single T20I match for over a year.
The 35-year-old, along with Rohit Sharma, made a comeback to the shorter format earlier this year when India took on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series at home.
While Sharma participated in all matches and also scored a half-century in the third match, Kohli also took part in two matches and scored 0 and 29 runs.
Sharma’s participation in the 2024 World Cup is confirmed as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah announced that the 36-year-old will lead the team. On the other hand, things may not be the same for Kohli, who has been India’s best player in recent T20I tournaments.
Kohli the Player of the Tournament of the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups, could be dropped out of the squad as the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar believes that the 35-year-old no longer has what it takes to play in the shorter format.
As India have not won an ICC tournament since 2013, the selection committee is looking to make a big and bold call and Kohli is likely to become its victim.
The report further stated that only having a staggering Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 could bring Kohli back in contention for the World Cup as players like Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and others are above him in the pecking order.
“It is also believed that the slow wickets in the West Indies wouldn’t suit him. The selectors have been toying with the idea for some time now and there has been nothing to suggest about a change in plans,” stated the report.
Groups for T20 World Cup 2024
Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, United States
Group B: England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
Group C: New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Group D: South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal