"A tough call for the selectors," Saba Karim speaks regarding Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim wants the selectors to make tough calls when they pick the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, scheduled in Australia later this year. The recently-concluded five-match T20I series saw a lot of Indian players doing well and knocking on the doors for the T20 World Cup.

At present, India have a phenomenal top order in the shortest format of the game, with the likes of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma at the top. Virat Kohli will walk in the middle to bat at number three. Though the players above have a big reputation, they haven't played together since the T20 World Cup last year.

Also, there are concerns regarding the form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both the players had a below-average season during the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. On the other hand, Rahul did well in the IPL, but he will be out of action for the coming months due to a groin injury.

Amidst the criticism for Rohit and Virat, Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad did well while opening the innings for India against South Africa. 

Kishan filed a case for a permanent place in team India by hammering 206 runs in five matches at an average of 41.20. Ruturaj, on the other hand, didn't have the best of times on the field. However, he showed signs of brilliance by scoring runs at a strike rate of over 130.

India played the South Africa series under the leadership of Rishabh Pant as many senior players, including Rohit, Virat, Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav, weren't available for selection. Hence, the chances of Ishan making it to the playing XI in the presence of all the players are slim.

Meanwhile, Ruturaj is even unlikely to find a place in the squad. While there is unlikely to be any change in the top three during the T20 World Cup, former selector Saba Karim wants the management to consider the brilliant performance of Ishan and Ruturaj. 

"A tough call for the selectors. At this stage, I'm sure all three of them (Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul) will walk into the XI," Karim said while speaking on Sony Sports. 

Further, the veteran also warned Kohli and Rohit to bring a change in their game to have a long run in T20Is. Both the batting stars have been under scrutiny for a long time due to their low strike rate in the shortest format. However, Karim believes having a reputation is not enough as Rohit and Virat need to perform according to the team's requirements. 

"If such criticism is being levelled at them, it is up to them to find a solution so that they emerge in a much better manner. And if it's not happening, then the team management or selectors need to have hard conversations with the individuals involved because there is stiff competition coming through,”

“The players whom you have named have enough experience to make the required changes in their batting so that it is beneficial for the national side. I'm sure they understand the needs of modern T20 batting," Karim concluded.