What Made BCCI Select Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma For Afghanistan T20Is?

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma marked their T20I return after a hiatus of more than a year. But, what made the BCCI hand them call-ups for the Afghanistan series?

The Indian cricket spectrum jumped with joy as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma marked their return to the national team in the T20I format as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced squad for the Afghanistan series. Kohli and Rohit hadn't played a T20 international since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2022 but are back in the reckoning, especially as the Afghanistan series remains Team India's last before next year's T20 World Cup.

Though Kohli and Rohit remain two of the most sought-after batters of their generation, their contributions in the shortest format haven't been as welcoming in the last couple of years as the critics would've liked. In fact, the delay the BCCI selection committee had in announcing the squad for the Afghanistan series also seems to have had something to do with the selection of Kohli and Rohit.

But, what made the BCCI select the veteran duo for the series? We take a look at potential reasons:

1. Rohit Sharma's Aggression, Virat Kohli's Form

In the ODI World Cup 2023, Rohit's aggression at the top of the order was one of the biggest positives for the team. Rohit's fiery cameos gave the team flying starts and a similar impact can be expected from him in the T20 World Cup next year. Such intent made it hard for the selectors to ignore him.