Coach Dravid assured the press that Kohli would rejoin the squad for the subsequent T20Is...
Digital Desk: Head Coach Rahul Dravid in a press conference on Wednesday confirmed that Virat Kohli will miss the first T20I against Afghanistan, citing personal reasons. The bilateral series, set to commence on January 11, will kick off in Mohali.
Coach Dravid assured the press that Kohli would rejoin the squad for the subsequent T20Is scheduled in Indore on January 14 and Bengaluru on January 17. The return of both Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the T20I squad had been a subject of speculation, as the duo had focused on ODI and Test formats during the 50-over World Cup in 2023.
After Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar visited Cape Town to discuss their plans, both Rohit and Kohli made themselves available for selection ahead of the New Year's T20I series against Afghanistan. Rohit Sharma was named the captain for the series, having missed T20Is in 2023 due to injuries.
Notably, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav had led India in T20Is in 2023 during Rohit's absence but were sidelined for the Afghanistan series due to injuries.
Addressing other notable deletions, Dravid clarified that the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the T20I squad was not disciplinary. Dravid refuted media reports claiming otherwise, asserting that there was no space for Iyer in the team due to the abundance of batters. He highlighted that Iyer had already missed the T20Is in South Africa.
Regarding Ishan Kishan, Dravid confirmed that the young cricketer had not made himself available for selection after seeking a break ahead of the Test series in South Africa for personal reasons. Dravid emphasized that there was no disciplinary issue with Iyer's omission, stating, "It's just that he missed out. There were a lot of batters in the team, and it's not easy to fit everyone."
Kohli's absence from the series opener adds an intriguing dimension to India's T20I squad, with his return anticipated in the subsequent matches. The team management, led by Rahul Dravid, seems to have navigated selection challenges, balancing experience and form for the upcoming series against Afghanistan.
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