India captain Rohit Sharma opened up on the team selection for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, saying he can’t keep everyone happy. India beat Afghanistan in the second Super Over at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
IND vs AFG, 3rd T20I Highlights
India survived a scare from Afghanistan in Bengaluru to clean-sweep the three-match T20I series 3-0. Rohit was the star of the evening for India, smashing his record-breaking fifth T20I hundred and playing a pivotal role in both the Super Overs to guide his side to victory.
Speaking to Jio Cinema following their win, Rohit opened up on the team selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup, saying he and head coach Rahul Dravid try to maintain clarity amongst the group regarding selection. The 2024 T20 World Cup will be held in the West Indies and USA, with India opening their campaign on June 5 against Ireland.
“We have not finalised the 15-member squad but there are 8-10 players in our minds. So we will make our combinations according to the conditions. In the West Indies, the conditions are slow, so we’ll have to pick our team accordingly. As far as Rahul Dravid and I are concerned, we’ve tried to maintain clarity. We try to tell them why they’ve been selected or not been selected even after putting in performances,” said Rohit.
He went on to say that he has learnt during his time as captain that he can’t keep everyone happy, insisting that he is focused on the team’s goal while making selection calls. India has been placed alongside Ireland, Pakistan, USA and Canada in Group A of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“You can’t keep everyone happy, that is what I’ve learnt in my time as captain. You can keep 15 players happy. Then also, only 11 are happy. The four players sitting on the bench also ask why they’re not playing. I’ve learnt that you can’t keep everyone happy, and the focus should be on the team’s goal,” Rohit added.
With this win, India extended their unbeaten run against Afghanistan in T20I cricket to 6-0. Rohit and co. will now shift their focus on the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which is set to begin on January 25.
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