There is a raging debate on whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be included in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20I World Cup, considering India’s trophy drought in ICC events. The discussion comes after India’s loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final last year. Clive Lloyd, the two-time World Cup-winning captain, has weighed in on the matter, advocating for the inclusion of both players due to their experience and skills.
You want to pick your best team, you can’t just fill the team with youthful players. You need experience, Lloyd stated during a media interaction at the 75th foundation day ceremony of Satgachia High School near Kolkata. Highlighting Kohli as one of the best players around and praising Rohit’s captaincy abilities, Lloyd asserted the importance of selecting the best team while recognizing the push from young players.
Lloyd also shared his admiration for emerging Indian talents Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. He commended the current pool of cricketers in India, acknowledging the team’s balance and potential for success. However, he expressed concern about the excessive cricket being played, which he believes can lead to staleness in the sport.
Discussing the decline of West Indies cricket, Lloyd attributed it partly to the proliferation of T20 franchise leagues. He emphasized the need to pay Test cricketers well, criticizing players who prioritize T20 formats over representing their country. According to Lloyd, the West Indies, with a population of only five million across 14 islands, is particularly vulnerable to losing players to shorter formats.
In contrast, Lloyd recognized that countries like India, Pakistan, England, and Australia have sufficient talent pools to offset the loss of a few players. He called for better compensation for Test cricketers, considering Test cricket’s status as the pinnacle of the sport.
While T20 cricket attracts audiences with its entertainment value, Lloyd believes that excessive reliance on the format can impede cricket’s overall growth. The West Indies’ failure to qualify for the ODI World Cup and their early exit in the 2022 T20 World Cup epitomize the challenges faced by the nation in maintaining competitiveness across formats.
As the debate on selecting the Indian squad for the T20I World Cup continues, Lloyd’s endorsement of the experience and skills of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli adds weight to their potential inclusion. With India boasting a talented pool of cricketers, including promising youngsters like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, the team aims to strike a balance between youth and experience. However, concerns regarding excessive cricket and the impact of T20 franchise leagues persist, particularly for nations with smaller talent pools like the West Indies.
In light of these discussions, the selection panel will reassess the composition of the Indian squad, aiming to field a formidable team capable of ending India’s ICC trophy drought. Whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will secure their spots in the T20I World Cup squad remains a topic of intense speculation, but Clive Lloyd’s backing of their inclusion will certainly fuel the conversation.
