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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not played a single T20I since India's exit from T20 World Cup 2023 after losing to limited-overs champions England. In Rohit's absence, Hardik Pandya has been leading the T20I squad after the success of Gujarat Titans (GT) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. As India will have a chance to win the trophy after 17 years in T20 World Cup 2023, former head coach Ravi Shastri feels that the Indian team should look beyond veterans and give chance to youngsters in upcoming T20I series.
Shastri has backed the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jitesh Sharma and Tilak Varma. The three batters have adopted the T20 template well and impressed many with their consistency in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season for their respective franchises.
"First T20 series that comes up, play these guys [the youngsters], expose these guys. They [the selectors] should start blooding them right now, Shastri told ESPNCricinfo
"Virat and Rohit are right where Sachin, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav and Laxman were. So, you know there is a template before you. If Virat and Rohit do not rule themselves out of T20, then it is up to form, one year is a long time. You will pick the best guys at that time, and then of course experience will also count, fitness will count.”
Shastri feels that players like Rohit and Kohli should focus on ODIs and Test cricket. Also, he does not want senior players to have a burnout at this stage of their career.
"Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in that [good performers in the IPL] direction so that they get the opportunities, they get the exposure, whilst you keep the Virats and the Rohits fresh for one-day cricket and Test cricket.
"Your focus there with that kind of experience should move to Test cricket, red-ball cricket for the future World Test Championship, and they stay fresh [so that] there is not too much of cricket where there is an overkill," he explained.
Also, Shastri does not want the Indian team management to make the same mistake as they did with Venkatesh Iyer who batted in the middle-order.
"It should be the right man for the right job," Shastri said.
"It shouldn't be a guy who bats at three or four for his franchise, and suddenly you make him bat at six or open the innings when it comes to picking a team for India." "I would like the mix of left-hand-right-hand batting combination. Just like you look for a left-armer with the ball, I would like to see left-handers there. You see this IPL, teams that have done well, look at the mix that they have."
Shastri has backed Pandya to utilise the players from the talent pool well. He cited Titans' lineup as an example of how Pandya operates in T20 cricket as a leader.
"Oh, you will get that right with Hardik. He'll get that right where he will want his six bowlers including himself and players for the right numbers," the 60-year-old said.
"Just seeing the way he has captained Gujarat Titans, you can see there is a player for a number and there is a role which he will take forward to the Indian team."
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