Ravi Shastri Urges India to Embrace Young Talent and Move on from Kohli and Rohit in T20Is

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has called for the inclusion of in-form young players in the national team's upcoming T20I series, emphasizing the need to transition away from veteran players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Several young batsmen, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma, have consistently performed well in the IPL 2023. Shastri believes that these players should be given opportunities in the first T20 series, urging selectors to blood them into the squad.

"Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in the direction of selecting good performers in the IPL so that they get the opportunities, they get the exposure, while you keep the Virats and the Rohits fresh for one-day cricket and Test cricket," Shastri stated, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Shastri also emphasized the importance of focusing on Test cricket and the red-ball format for future World Test Championships. With the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup still some time away, he believes that the criteria for squad selection should be based solely on current form. Additionally, Shastri called for a balanced combination of left-hand and right-hand batsmen for specific roles.

"One year is a long time. Players can be in form; the form can disappear. You will pick the best guys at the time, and then, of course, the experience will count, fitness will count. It should be the right man for the right job," Shastri explained.

The former coach also expressed his preference for a mix of left-handers and right-handers in the batting lineup, highlighting the successful IPL teams that have adopted such combinations.

Regarding the wicketkeeper-batter position, Shastri suggested that number six or seven would be ideal. With Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson currently in the mix and Rishabh Pant recovering from injuries, Shastri pointed out Jitesh's strong finishing skills for Punjab Kings, adding more depth to the selection options.

Shastri concluded by praising Hardik Pandya's captaincy potential, noting his ability to place the right players in the right positions. Drawing from Pandya's leadership in the IPL with the Gujarat Titans, Shastri expressed confidence that he could replicate that success with the Indian team.

"Hardik will get that right where he will want his six bowlers, including himself, and players for the right numbers. Just seeing the way he has captained Gujarat Titans, you can see there is a player for a number and a role which he will take forward to the Indian team," Shastri concluded.