Table of Contents
As India sealed the T20I series against Afghanistan by 3-0, the tussle regarding Men in Blue’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 has further intensified. The dynamic performances of players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube have exaggerated the competition for Indian squad for the forthcoming cricket extravaganza.
Amid the speculations, skipper Rohit Sharma has weighed in on the matter and provided clear insights on the factors that will play a crucial role in framing the side’s line-up.
Rohit Sharma on Indian squad for T20I World Cup 2024
While speaking to Jio Cinema following the culmination of the 3rd T20I against the Afghans, Rohit mentioned that the final 15-member squad for the T20I World Cup hasn’t been confirmed. However, he clarified that they have around 8-10 players in mind. The latter underscored that the team will be selected based on the prevailing dynamics, with the West Indies (co-host of T20I World Cup 2024) conditions being relatively slow. Rohit said that he and Rahul Dravid emphasized the importance of maintaining clarity in communication with the players regarding their selection and providing reasons for inclusion or exclusion even after commendable performances.
“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.
Also WATCH: Steve Smith displays sportsmanship by tying debutant Shamar Joseph’s shoelaces on Day 3 of Adelaide Test – AUS vs WI 2024
‘You can’t keep everyone happy’: Rohit Sharma
Rohit further threw light on the challenge of keeping everyone content in the squad, highlighting that even with a squad of 15, only the playing 11 are satisfied. He acknowledged the inevitability of some players on the bench feeling disappointed about not being in the playing XI. The right-handed batter stressed that, in his captaincy experience, he has learned to focus on the team’s overarching goals despite individual concerns.
“You can’t keep everyone happy, that is what I’ve learnt 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 learnt that you can’t keep everyone happy, and the focus should be on the team’s goal,” the Nagpur-born cricketer added.
