Rohit Sharma could be playing his last few games for Team India in T20Is as there are reports indicating that the all-format skipper is set to retire from the format after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The mega event kicks off in the West Indies and USA in June with India placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada. This will be Rohit’s second successive T20 WC as the Indian captain. In the 2022 edition, India ended as semifinalists under Hitman’s captaincy in the marquee event held in Australia.

As per a report carried out by Dainik Jagran, Rohit is likely to bid adieu to T20Is and the T20 WC could prove to be his last few appearances in the format. Meanwhile, the report further revealed that Hardik Pandya was picked in India’s T20 WC squad not for his performances, which have been ordinary in IPL 2024, but for the fact that the BCCI is looking at him as the future T20I skipper (prompting the BCCI selectors to not only pick Hardik but name him Rohit’s deputy in the squad).

While these are all reports, it will be interesting to see if any BCCI senior official or someone from the Indian team management reacts to all these rumours. In another report, it is believed that the BCCI selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit weren’t in favour of including Hardik in the T20 WC squad. Hardik hasn’t featured for India since his injury during the ODI WC at home last year. In IPL 2024, he marked his return to competitive cricket but the all-rounder has failed to make a strong impact with both bat and ball. 

However, Agarkar and Rohit were pressured to include Hardik in the mix. While the report didn’t mention what this pressure was and whom it came from, it is believed that it came from the upper brass within the BCCI who is looking at Hardik as the future Indian captain — at least in T20Is. 

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