'You Can't Keep Everyone Happy...': Rohit Sharma Breaks Silence On Dropping Big Names From T20I Squad For Afghanistan Series

Rohit also said that the team management is yet to finalise the final squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 but he knows which 8 or 9 players will eventually make the cut.

Rohit Sharma. (Image: ANI)

India captain Rohit Sharma was a happy man at the end of the T20I series vs Afghanistan as India made a clean sweep on the visitors on Wednesday night in Bengaluru. The match went into two Super Overs as Team India emerged victorious in the end. This was the series that saw Rohit and Virat Kohli return to T20Is after a long gap. Rohit said that he continued watching India play in the shorter formats when he was not playing. The return of two stalwarts of Indian cricket is to do with India aiming to finally win an ICC tournanment at the T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies.

Rohit took some brave calls as soon as he returned as captain. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were dropped from the T20I side. No reason was listed in the BCCI release for why these two were dropped. It was then reported that Ishan has been asked to perform well in the domestic cricket to make a return to the national side as the management is upset with him for taking a mental health break and then going to party in Dubai. Shreyas Iyer was dropped on merit as head coach Rahul Dravid had said before the start of the Afghanistan series Iyer has 'missed out' on selection as there is a fight for places.

Double the drama _
Double the nerves _
All thanks to a Double Super-Over _

A BTS view of the thriller from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with #TeamIndia __

WATCH __ #INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Uy4OAXVTJz

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2024

Rohit spoke to Jio Cinema on managing the large talent that is there on offer. He said that he cannot help but drop some players as only 15 can be picked in a squad. "It becomes challenging to a large extent because you are trying out a lot of players. Like when we were playing the ODI World Cup, we tried out many boys in T20s. They perform but when the main squad is announced, some boys have to be left out. So, it is disappointing for them. But our job is to bring clarity to the team. It shouldn’t be that we want to do something and something else is happening. So, in the pool of 25-30 players we have, they know what is expected of each player," said Rohit.

The India captain also said that it is difficult to keep everyone happy in the team. The selection cannot be made to make someone happy. He also said that management has not yet finalised the squad for the T20 World Cup while it is also true that India have just finished their last T20 series ahead of the World Cup which starts in June. 

"We have still not finalised the squad for the T20 World Cup, but obviously in the mind you know the 8-10 players who are going to play. Then you decide on the combination after looking at the conditions of the place you will be travelling to. In the West Indies, the conditions are quite slow, so we have to pick the squad accordingly. Again I say, Rahul bhai and I have tried to maintain clarity in the team. The one thing I have learnt from captaincy is that you can’t keep everyone happy. You have to focus on the needs of the team," said Rohit.