The BCCI are set to name the 15-member Indian side by the end of April. The deadline for final team submission to ICC is May 1.

New Delhi: There won’t be any pressure on Rohit Sharma at the upcoming T20 World Cup, taking place in the USA and West Indies but the Indian captain would be hungry to take it back more so after missing out on the 50-over title to Australia in November last year, reckoned former cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Under Rohit, India won 10 consecutive matches in the ODI World Cup 2023 en route to the final before losing to the Pat Cummins-led side.

There has been a lot of debate about Rohit being under pressure, considering India haven’t won an ICC title in the last 11 years. India’s only T20 World Cup title came in the inaugural edition in 2007. Incidentally, Rohit was a part of that triumphant group led by legendary MS Dhoni. Since then, the Men in Blue came close thrice – 2014 (runners-up), 2016 and 2022 (semifinals) – but missed on the title.

“I wouldn’t say pressure, it was our bad luck that the Australians played so brilliantly, you know Aussies, when it comes to finals they lift up the game. So more than the pressure, I think Rohit will be waiting to take back the World Cup. Let’s put it that way,” Srikkanth said on Star Sports Press Room on Friday.

“There should be some course correction from the 2023 World Cup where we dominated the entire world and just missed out in the finals. So in my opinion, since Rohit Sharma has been in the 2007 World Cup winning champion, he knows what it means to win because he was a part of that world cup, so as a captain he will make sure that he would do that course correction this time,” he added.

Hayden Explains Kohli’s Role In T20 WC

Meanwhile, former Australian opener Matthew Hayden felt that Virat Kohli needs to bat in the first six overs of the powerplay. Speaking on Kohli’s role in the playing XI, Hayden, a former CSK star, said, “By popular consensus of the panel, I’ve got Virat there. I’ve got to have him in the powerplay.

“If I’m going to pick him, he has to play in the powerplay. He has to play the majority of those six overs as an opener, because Yashasvi does deserve to be there in my opinion, and it will be a left and right hand combination which will be a huge bonus, and that’s why I say it’s such a pivotal selection, this.

“Who would have even thought that we would be having this conversation about the greatest player in India, maybe ever. So it all comes down to are we interested in selecting a side that we believe is the right balance and is going to win this world cup,” added Hayden at Star Sports Press Room.