Despite the temperature hovering in the single digits here, fans braved the cold and waited for the team India bus. Most were waiting for a glimpse of the big two of Indian cricket – Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma. Later, head coach Rahul Dravid, wearing a beanie cap, informed the media that Kohli will miss the first match due to personal reasons and will be available for the next two matches.
Rohit’s flight was delayed and he reached the stadium an hour late.
Dravid confirmed that Rohit, who is returning to the T20I squad after 14 months, will open with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
With Dravid locking in Jaiswal and Rohit as first-choice openers, that means IPL leading man Shubman Gill will bat at No.3 in Kohli’s absence and may have to warm the bench when the senior returns for the Indore and Bengaluru matches.
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Open Kohli and Rohit?
Dravid left the door open to the possibility that Virat and Rohit could also be tried as an opening pair. To a question, Jaiswal Dravid said that the Southpaw gives a left-right combination at the top, but at the same time said that a left-handed batsman in the top order would not get preferential treatment.
Underprepared for the T20 World Cup?
The three-match series against Afghanistan will be the last internationals that Team India will play before the T20 World Cup, which begins in June. The Indian coach admitted that there is no time to prepare for this year’s T20 World Cup and the management will have to rely on the IPL to pick the team.
Domestic cricket journey back to Ishan
Ishan Kishan has been dropped from the T20 squad as the team management was not happy with him asking for a break before the Test series in South Africa.
However, Dravid said that the left-hander will return to the national team once he is available for selection, but he has to play in domestic cricket.
