Rohit's Return In T20Is Not Ruled Out

Even at the lowest ebb of his captaincy stint, after India were outclassed by England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final at Adelaide, Rohit Sharma knew exactly what he had to work for next. The Indian skipper plotted and planned all through 2023, which culminated in a remarkable ODI World Cup campaign for the home side; one in which they fluffed their lines in the big final.

- Rasesh Mandani

Does he get another shot at redemption? Get to lead India in another World Cup campaign, that's only a little over six months away; but in a format where there are many other fearless top-order contenders Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad - pushing for a new order?

In the absence of any official word, speculation has been rife that Sharma, 36, may have already played his last T20I at Adelaide. And that may still prove to be the case, but it's far from being cast in stone, especially given how he has upped his strike rate in recent internationals. The selectors' outlook is forward-looking and they want the T20 team to have a distinct identity, said one BCCI official. But there will be discussions definitely with Rohit to find out his line of thinking.

On two occasions during the year, Sharma made his thoughts known. I've not decided to give up the format, he told reporters earlier in January. I think it was made clear in the past that it's a 50-over World Cup year. And for some of the guys, it's not possible to play all formats. I definitely fall in that (category) as well.