Rohit and Kohli were given a rest for the entire white-ball leg of the South Africa series following the conclusion of the 2023 ODI World Cup. After showcasing their exceptional skills in the South Africa series, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have proven their worth. Recognizing their importance, the BCCI has granted permission for the return of these seasoned players for India’s upcoming white-ball assignments in the T20 World Cup year. However, with Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya currently sidelined due to injuries, the team, under the guidance of coach Rahul Dravid, will be using the Afghanistan series as an opportunity to test out young talents. In an official announcement made on Sunday, the BCCI confirmed the inclusion of Kohli and Rohit in the T20I setup. Unfortunately, India will be missing the services of Suryakumar, Pandya, and opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is nursing a finger injury, during the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Before the final decision was made by the BCCI, former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth expressed his support for the inclusion of Rohit and Kohli in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup. Srikkanth, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, shared his thoughts on YouTube, stating that Rohit is an indispensable player when it comes to the ICC World T20. He also believes that Kohli should be a guaranteed starter at the tournament. The last time Kohli and Rohit played a T20I for India was during the 2022 World Cup in Australia, where they were defeated by eventual champions England in the semi-finals. “Virat Kohli is a certainty. He is in great form. Rohit Sharma, maybe, is confident because of how he scored in the World Cup. He will regroup and try and do well in the IPL. If Rohit Sharma says I am available, you can’t say you will drop him. At the end of the day, Rohit Sharma is also hurt that he has lost a World Cup. He would like to go out with a World Cup in his hand at least. He was there in the 2007 World Cup. He would want to do something similar, win a World Cup, and go out,” Srikkanth said. Rohit and Kohli were given a rest for the entire white-ball leg of the South Africa series following the conclusion of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Rohit, who finished second in the run-getters list at the World Cup, was surpassed only by the all-time leader, Kohli. In the absence of Rohit, Surykumar took charge as the captain for the South Africa T20Is. The upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan will mark Team India’s final bilateral T20I assignment before the highly anticipated T20 World Cup. “Virat Kohli would definitely want to win a T20 World Cup. Moreover, last year only the T20 World Cup took place, 13 months back. Virat Kohli was in extraordinary form. If they say they are available, I don’t think you can drop them. If you want to give captaincy to Hardik, you can. But you have to also look at his (Hardik’s) fitness,” Srikkanth added. READ| Watch: MS Dhoni leaves everyone in splits with hilarious speech at Rishabh Pant’s sister’s engagement ceremony