Virat Kohli's T20 strike rate a concern for World Cup? Skipper Rohit Sharma smiles, Ajit Agarkar says THIS

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held a press conference in Mumbai, where skipper Rohit Sharma and national selection committee head Ajit Agarkar answered questions from the media regarding the squad selected for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. Despite an 80-minute delay, it was anticipated that there would be various questions surrounding why Sanju Samson was chosen ahead of KL Rahul and why Rinku Singh was kept in the reserves. Additionally, many were expected to inquire about Virat Kohli's strike rate.

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Sure enough, the question arose, prompting a smile from Rohit Sharma, who had also anticipated it. Ajit Agarkar responded, saying, "We have not been discussing his strike rate. There's a difference between IPL (Indian Premier League) and international cricket. Experience is necessary. We have a balanced and powerful team. We should observe and extract positives from IPL performances, as the pressure of a World Cup game is different."

Regarding Rinku Singh's omission, Agarkar commented, "It's not his fault that he missed out. He did nothing wrong, and the same goes for Shubman Gill. It was about the combination we wanted. We aimed to have enough options, especially about wrist spinners. Chahal and Kuldeep provide that. Axar Patel serves as the all-rounder, with two wicketkeepers also included."

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The duo also clarified Rahul's exclusion. "KL Rahul has been opening in the IPL. We were primarily seeking middle-order options. Therefore, we felt that Samson and Pant were better suited for that role. Samson can bat anywhere in the lineup. It was simply about fulfilling our team needs rather than deciding who was better," Agarkar explained.

Rohit was even questioned about who would partner with Jasprit Bumrah. In response, the Indian captain jokingly said, "The match is on June 5th. Why discuss it now? Why do you want to know the combination?"

Squad:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya (Vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj 

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.