Kevin Pietersen believes IPL performances will determine Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s T20I future

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still have a great chance of being included in India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The conversation regarding the future of Kohli and Rohit has found a lot of legs recently, especially after India’s loss to Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup. Both Rohit and Kohli were in excellent form in the ODI World Cup in India, Pietersen said that their performance in IPL 2024 will be crucial in determining their selection for the T20 World Cup scheduled for June next year. “They (Kohli and Rohit) have every chance, would have to see how they go in IPL, check them in the IPL. Because they have been so incredible servants to Indian cricket, you have to give them the respect and you have to ask them that according to form whether they fancy their chances or not. They are fabulous cricketers,” said Pietersen in an interview with news agency IANS. Pietersen also observed that since there was not much of a gap between IPL 2024 and next year’s T20 World Cup, it might serve as a swansong for a couple of players. “IPL form is going to go a long way because the final of the IPL and T20 World Cup 2024 wouldn’t have much gap in between. It might be a swansong for a couple of them,” he added. As per few reports, Virat Kohli has conveyed to the BCCI that he will not be available in white-ball matches for a while. This decision effectively rules him out from the white-ball segment of India’s upcoming tour of South Africa as well as the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January. At the same time, it is not certain if Rohit Sharma will be available for the white-ball segment of the South Africa tour. Neither Rohit or Kohli have been part of India’s T20 side since the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. A young Indian side is currently involved in a T20I series against Australia and their performance should give the selectors plenty of confidence.