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'Rohit, Kohli Are Still Excellent Fielders But...,' - Gavaskar's Gripping Take On India's G.O.A.T.s

image-lr1o8lolRohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (Twitter)

Sunil Gavaskar made an interesting 'fielding' case for the inclusion of India's legendary duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in plans for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and the USA. 

The former India skipper believes the Kohli-Rohit pairing walks into the side on their fielding impact alone, even as doubts continue to emerge over their T20I futures. Gavaskar said apart from their greatness with the bat, the two stalwarts bring "excellent" fielding acumen to the table.

Speculations have been rife on the two cricketers' fate in the shortest format for India amidst their continuous absence from the scene since the T20 World Cup 2022 played in Australia 15 months ago.

The defeat in the semifinal of the biannual T20I tournament against England in Adelaide remains the last time Kohli and Rohit turned up in the format at the international stage, and it isn't clear if they will make a comeback in time for the next edition in June.

Gavaskar's Interesting 'Fielding' Point On Kohli, Rohit

"Virat Kohli's form has been outstanding for the past 1.5 years. He also played brilliantly at the ODI World Cup. So, there should not be any debate over his batting prowess in limited-overs cricket. A massive aspect is that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are still excellent fielders," Gavaskar told Star Sports. 

"Sometimes, you get slow when you are 35-36; your throw isn't that good anymore. So, there are discussions over where to keep you while setting the field. That's not a problem for these two because they are still terrific fielders. In addition to seniority in the dressing room, they will contribute on the field, too. We don't know if Rohit will be captain, but whatever the case, any captain will surely benefit from that.

It is understood that chief selector Ajit Agarkar travelled to Cape Town and had a discussion with the two veterans after the conclusion of the second Test against South Africa on their plans and commitment towards the T20I side.

Agarkar-led panel will announce India's squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Saturday (January 6). While it is certain that the fast-bowling pair of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will be rested for the assignment, a dark cloud hangs largely on Rohit and Kohli.

The T20Is in Mohali, Indore, and Bangalore will be India's last before travelling to the Caribbean & USA for the T20 World Cup, with only the IPL 2024 in March-May providing further game time and preparations in the shortest format to the players.