Rohit Sharma's dwindling T20 numbers a cause of concern as T20 World Cup 2024 gets closer

The conundrum over India’s T20I squad refuses to die down. While some experts and fans think that India need to move on from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the shortest format with the 2024 T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the West Indies and the USA, the veterans it seems are still keen on playing for Men in Blue in T20Is. As per the latest report in the news agency PTI, national selectors Shiv Sunder Das and Salil Ankola are in South Africa where Team India is currently stationed for a Test series. The selectors will be soon joined by Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, to discuss the matter with coach Rahul Dravid before deciding upon the squad for the Afghanistan T20Is. The three-match series starts on 11 January and will be the last international T20I assignment for India ahead of the T20 World Cup. In such a scenario, the performances of the players in IPL 2024 will play a major role in finalising the squad but if Kohli and Rohit decide to continue playing in T20Is, it will be almost impossible for the selectors to not pick the veterans considering their stature and contribution to Indian cricket. Just a few days back Indian legend Harbhajan Singh had said that Kohli and Rohit had to be "there in the squad" . “I think both Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) should be there in the World Cup…I think a good combination would be possible only when you have good senior players too with the youth. Virat and Rohit have a lot of mettle in them…I think they should play,” Harbhajan had told news agency ANI. South African great and Kohli’s former RCB teammate AB de Villiers had also shared a similar opinion on the matter. “We just have to see them there (Rohit & Virat). It’s all about their hunger. Do they have the hunger to go there and win the T20 World Cup? I think so. I cannot speak on their behalf but I think they will want to go there and win. T20 World Cup is a short tournament and you do set yourselves up to have another chance of winning a World Cup. So I do see them going there,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. If some of the biggest names are backing Rohit and Kohli then their selection looks like a certainty but selectors probably would want to have a look at the T20 numbers of the players before taking a call. We take a look at how Rohit and Kohli have performed in T20s over the years. Rohit Sharma Overall numbers in T20Is: Matches: 148 Innings: 140 Runs: 3853 Average: 31.32 Strike rate: 139.24 50s/100s: 29/4 Highest score: 118 Virat Kohli Overall numbers in T20Is: Matches: 115 Innings: 107 Runs: 4008 Average: 52.73 Strike rate: 137.96 50s/100s: 37/1 Highest score: 122* These batters have an equally impressive record in T20s. Rohit Sharma Overall numbers in T20s: Matches: 423 Innings: 410 Runs: 11035 Average: 30.56 Strike rate: 133.53 50s/100s: 74/6 Highest score: 118 Virat Kohli Overall numbers in T20s: Matches: 374 Innings: 357 Runs: 11965 Average: 30.56 Strike rate: 133.35 50s/100s: 91/8 Highest score: 122* The problem, however, comes when we look at their T20 record in the last five years (2019-2023). The stats for Rohit show that the batter has not been the same force in T20s over the last 5 years. Rohit’s T20 batting numbers since 2019: Matches: 128 Innings: 128 Runs: 3334 Average: 26.88 Strike rate: 133.62 50s/100s: 22/0 Highest score: 85 In fact, in IPL 2023, he only got 332 runs in 16 matches at an average of just above 20 and a strike rate of 132.80. In IPL 2022, he scored 268 runs in 14 matches at an average of 19.14 at a strike rate of 120.18. The truth is also that no batter has made more T20 runs at a poor average and strike rate than Rohit Sharma in the last five years. For Kohli it’s not the same case he continues to do well, especially when compared to Rohit. Kohli’s T20 batting numbers since 2019: Matches: 124 Innings: 121 Runs: 4156 Average: 26.88 Strike rate: 133.41 50s/100s: 34/4 Highest score: 122* In IPL 2022, Kohli scored just 341 runs in 16 matches at an average of 22.73 and with a strike rate of 115.99. He, however, bounced back with a superb IPL 2023 where he got 639 runs in 14 matches at 53.25 and had a strike rate of 139.82.