The Indian cricket team has begun a new era in T20I cricket, with youngsters getting more and more opportunities in the team, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, while veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to sit out. Though neither of the two has expressed the desire to quit the shortest format, there’s little to no clarity over their future. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif feels at least one of the two veteran batters — Kohli and Rohit — needs to return to the shortest format fo India.
“You might get a replacement for KL Rahul but it won’t be that easy to find replacements for seasoned players (like Kohli and Rohit). Yes, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan might take their places in the future. But these are similar players with similar experiences, playing at the same time. Can these players take you to the T20 World Cup final?,” Latif said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Latif still remains of the opinion that the likes of Shubman Gil, Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, and Ishan Kishan are wonderful players but still lack the experience that is required to perform at an event of the stature of the World Cup.
“Gill, Shaw, Tripathi, Hooda, Ishan… can these players take you to the final? In yesterday’s match (1st T20I vs NZ), there was a problem when they didn’t have a senior player. If they had a senior player, he could’ve taken them past the finishing line. So, Hardik Pandya and Rahul Dravid might have to consider bringing at least one of the two (Rohit and Kohli) if not both in the mix,” Latif opined.
The Pakistan legend’s reaction came in the wake of India’s defeat against New Zealand in the 1st T20I on Friday. The team would look to bounce back in the second match of the series that takes place on Sunday.
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