IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar Opines on Virat Kohli’s Place in 2024 T20 World Cup Squad

Former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar said that it will be premature to debate whether or not Virat Kohli should be part of the Indian Team’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad. Gavaskar added that another Indian Premier League (IPL) edition will be played before the next T20 World Cup and discussions about his place should be held depending on his form right now as well.

However, after Team India failed to win the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, rumours started doing the rounds that he and Virat Kohli would be phased out from the T20I team as well. Kohli, however, has been in sublime form in T20 cricket over the last few months. In the ongoing IPL, he even hit back-to-back centuries and broke Chris Gayle’s record for most IPL tons as well.

In a discussion over whether Virat Kohli should be part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad, Sunil Gavaskar told Sports Tak:

“The next T20 World Cup will be played in 2024. There will be another IPL before that in March-April. His form should be observed at that point. There is no point talking about it now. If we are talking about an upcoming T20 international, say India are playing a match in June, then he definitely fits into the team, the kind of form that he has shown. But, speaking about the 2024 World Cup, which will be held in West Indies and America, the form of players needs to be observed in the IPL before that and then we can talk about selection for the World Cup squad.”

IPL 2023: “In T20 cricket, even scoring 50 is difficult” – Sunil Gavaskar lauds Virat Kohli’s IPL form

However, Virat Kohli smashed 639 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2023 which came at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of 139.82, with two tons and six fifties. While talking about Kohli’s current form, Gavaskar shared that the swashbuckling batter fits into the scheme of things when it comes to India’s current T20I squad as well.

Praising his excellent performances in IPL 2023, the former India captain said:

“Virat would definitely be in my T20I team on current form for India’s upcoming matches in the format. He has scored two hundreds [in IPL 2023]. Hitting two hundreds… in T20 cricket, even scoring 50 is difficult. This great batter has notched up two hundreds. If I was a selector and India were playing a T20 in June this year, I would, without doubt, pick him in the squad.”