Senior Indian players likely to be dropped with T20 World Cup 2024 in focus: Reports

Indian Cricket Team (Source: AP Newsroom)

If it wasn't in the scheme of things before, it is now. And surely a hard pill to swallow. Senior players in the current Indian setup are expected to be replaced by the younger generation, according to a report from PTI.

The talks are that the current skipper Rohit Sharma, ace batter Virat Kohli, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik might not find themselves in the squad for T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and USA.

However, mainstays Sharma and Kohli will be given the choice of choosing their path ahead with Tests and ODIs in mind, whereas a few set of players will be backed to continue in the shortest format.

Another massive switch will be in terms of captaincy, where pace bowling all-rounder and 2022 IPL-winning captain Hardik Pandya could be handed the responsibility of leading the Indian T20 setup.

What BCCI source said

An insider from BCCI revealed that very few T20I matches will take place in 2023, hence, many of the top players would be asked to focus on the other two formats.

"The BCCI never asks anyone to retire. It is an individual decision. But yes, with just a handful of T20Is scheduled in 2023, most of the seniors will concentrate on ODIs and Test matches in that cycle,

"You don't need to announce retirement if you don't want to. You will not see most of the seniors playing T20 next year."

Moreover, Washington Sundar is set to be given more chances now due to him missing a lot of matches owing to injuries. 

Also, KL Rahul's place in the team will be up for debate considering he was one of the key highlights during India's failed campaign.

The final thing that remains to be seen is if India extends Paddy Upton's contract as mental conditioning coach, which expired after the T20 World Cup.

Also Read: What if MS Dhoni was the captain of India in T20 World Cup 2022?