Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in 3rd T20I vs Afghanistan© AFP
India captain Rohit Sharma returned to form after back-to-back ducks in the T20I series against Afghanistan, scoring an unbeaten ton in the 3rd T20I. Other than Rohit, Rinku Singh also rose to the occasion, stitching an unbeaten partnership of 190 runs with the skipper to take the team from 22/4 to 212/4. After the game, Rohit was asked about the T20 World Cup combinations and the mindset he, as well as the head coach Rahul Dravid have on the matter. Rohit gave a rather blunt response, saying he knows it is not possible to keep everyone happy.
Rohit, in a chat with the broadcaster after the game, said that the 15-member squad hasn’t yet been finalised as the team management is still looking at 8-10 players who are in the running.
“We have not finalised the 15-member squad but there are 8-10 players in our minds. So we will make our combinations according to the conditions. In the West Indies, the conditions are slow, so we’ll have to pick our team accordingly. As far as Rahul Dravid and I are concerned, we’ve tried to maintain clarity. We try to tell them why they’ve been selected or not been selected even after putting in performances,” said Rohit.
Rohit even said that the players on the bench, in the third T20I, will ask why they aren’t playing, but it is impossible for him to have everyone satisfied and happy as only 11 players can play.
“You can’t keep everyone happy, that is what I’ve learned in my time as captain. You can keep 15 players happy. Then also, only 11 are happy. The four players sitting on the bench also ask why they’re not playing. I’ve learned that you can’t keep everyone happy, and the focus should be on the team’s goal,” Rohit explained.
The Afghanistan assignment was Team India’s last before the T20 World Cup this year. The players’ selection will now depend on their performances in the Indian Premier League.
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