New Delhi, India

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has opened up on the future of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I format as the Men in Blue take on South Africa. In the absence of big boys like Rohit and Virat, India will start their three-match T20I series against the Proteas on Sunday (Dec 10) in Durban. While fatigue and age are considered crucial factors for team selection in the T20I format, according to Gambhir form should be the only criteria that decides the future of the players.

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Gambhir opens up on Virat, Rohit future

"See, it all depends on the form. Ultimately, it's the form. Good thing is it's happening after the IPL. 100 per cent. They should be part of the World Cup if they are in good form. For me, form is important. For a T20 World Cup, you want to take players who are in really good form. If Rohit and Virat are in good form, they should absolutely be picked for the World Cup," Gambhir told ANI.

Both Rohit and Virat have not played in the T20I format for India since the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. The match against England in Sydney proved to be the final straw for the duo as they missed the shortest format due to the load management approach of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, it is anticipated that both Rohit and Virat are not in the long-term plans of the BCCI in the T20I format as they are considering the next crop of players to carry the baton.

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Virat, Rohit in good form

Interestingly, in terms of form, both Virat and Rohit enjoyed a good ODI World Cup with the former being named Player of the Tournament. Virat scored 765 runs in 11 matches at the tournament including nine fifty-plus scores. Rohit was the second-highest run scorer in the tournament with 597 runs in 11 matches. Despite the great form of the duo, India were the second-best team in the World Cup as Australia clinched their sixth title in Ahmedabad with a dominating win.

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With the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies on the horizon in 2024, it will be interesting to see if both or either player makes the final squad. The T20 World Cup will be held in West Indies and USA in June with 20 teams participating in the tournament.