Virat Kohli not part of Rohit Sharma and selection panel's plan for T20 World Cup 2024, replacement found

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Virat Kohli is highly unlikely to feature in the T20 World Cup 2024 as things stand for now. In the five-hour-long selection meeting held in Delhi recently, captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, laid out a road map for the upcoming ICC event.

While BCCI officials including secretary Amit Shah and vice-president Rajeev Shukla wanted 36-year-old Rohit Sharma to lead Team India in the T20 World Cup 2024, a decision on Virat Kohli's T20I career wasn't taken. The officials will soon talk to the former India captain regarding his plans for the T20Is.

The selectors are on a lookout for an attacking batter who can take on the opposition from ball one while batting at number three spot. Ishan Kishan has currently emerged as the frontrunner for the position. He played some extremely handy knocks while batting at number three during the just-concluded 5-match T20I series against Australia.

Virat Kohli emerged as the top-scorer in the World Cup 2023. He scored 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62. However, his strike rate was 90.31 - lowest among all the batters with more than 500 runs.

Rohit Sharma finished second with 599 runs at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of 125.94 - highest among all the batters with more than 400 runs. The performance has put himself in a spot where he can again get the opportunity to lead India in the T20Is and give a shot at winning his first-ever World Cup trophy.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja haven't played in the T20I format since the T20 World Cup 2022. Jadeja has been named in the India T20I squad for the 3-match series against South Africa starting December 10. Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja have taken a break from the white-ball leg of the series.

India will be playing a total of six T20I matches ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Following the three T20Is against South Africa, India are slated to play a 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January.

IPL 2024 will be the best shot for the players to prepare for the marquee event which will be held in June in the West Indies and the USA.

The same IPL 2024 could be the last shot for Virat Kohli to place his bet for a spot in the T20 World Cup squad. Kohli opens for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill are the contenders for the spot to open with Rohit.

With Ishan at three, and the likes of Rinku Singh, Surtakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson Ravindra Jadeja and others in contention, a place for Virat Kohli is really in doubt.