The ongoing bilateral T20I series between India and Australia is already seeing senior players benched and put to rest after a hectic World Cup campaign. As India and Australia are left with two matches to conclude the 5-match series, it will be interesting to see whether Australia will continue its dominance in this series or not, like it did in the just concluded 2023 World Cup. The next schedule for team India is set to commence from December 10 when India’s tour of South Africa will see another T20 series in Durban.
Kohli to skip the series against South Africa
Reports reveal that Virat Kohli approached the BCCI to inform them about his unavailability in the T20 series against South Africa as he would like to take a break. The 35-year old batsman had an unforgettable campaign in the 2023 World Cup, as he registered several unbreakable records including 50 ODI centuries. Kohli informed BCCI that he will return for the Test Series and would like to skip the upcoming T20 series. All in all, Kohli wants to focus on red-ball cricket rather than white ball-cricket, therefore he will certainly be back at the time of two Test matches against South Africa.
Which player is likely to lead the team?
While Kohli has made it clear that he won’t be playing in the T20 series, Rohit Sharma is also expected to miss out on the series against South Africa as recently, reports revealed that the 36-year old wants to take a break from T20 format. The two senior batsmen Kohli and Rohit are currently on a vacation in London with their families following a hectic World Cup campaign.
However in Rohit’s absence, middle-order batsman and wicket keeper KL Rahul is likely to lead the team from the front in the T20 series against South Africa. If not, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is also a potential captain for the team.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram