'Don't know selectors thinking but Hardik...': Ex-India star's no-nonsense take on Rohit and Kohli

With Team India still waiting on Hardik Pandya's fitness, former India cricketer Kiran More has issued a noteworthy statement about the injured all-rounder after India announced its squad for the Afghanistan series. After a fruitful turnout in the multi-format series against hosts South Africa, Pandya-less Team India will meet Afghanistan in their next white-ball assignment.

Following the returns of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the South Africa Test series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) picked India's leading T20I run-getters for the Afghanistan T20Is. Kohli and Rohit will play their first T20I matches after 13 months. The batting duo opted to prioritise Test cricket and the 50-over format in the One Day International (ODI) World Cup year.

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Kohli and Rohit last played a T20I together at the World Cup 2022 semi-finals. India lost to eventual champions England in the Australia World Cup. Talking about the inclusion of Rohit and Kohli in India's T20I squad, former Indian cricketer More opted to share a message for injured all-rounder Pandya. The white-ball maverick was leading the Indian T20I side in the absence of Rohit. Pandya has also been Rohit's deputy in the limited-overs format since the 2022 World Cup.

'Hardik Pandya needs to get fit'

"Firstly, Hardik needs to get fit. He needs to start playing cricket first, that's extremely necessary. Once he does that, Hardik Pandya definitely ticks all the boxes. He has also been the captain earlier. We don't know the selectors' thinking, what has gone on inside, but Hardik will come into the team as soon as he gets fit. He needs to play matches before the World Cup. We don't know when he will start, probably in the IPL, but he is preparing hard. He is the world's top all-rounder and every team will want to have him," More told Sports 18.

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Sharing his views about the batting icons, More opined that Rohit and Kohli have returned to the Indian T20I side due to their recent form. Rohit and Kohli played instrumental roles in helping India level the South Africa Test series 1-1 at Cape Town. Earlier, Rohit and Kohli were rested for the entire white-ball leg of the South Africa series.

‘The way Rohit Sharma captained in the World Cup…’

“Your (selectors) thinking changed slightly after two years. I don't know what their thinking was earlier but both gave fantastic performances in the World Cup and looked in form in the South Africa series as well. The way Rohit Sharma captained in the World Cup and we reached the final as well, he played exceptional innings, the aggression he showed, so the thinking changed slightly. So both have been recalled and it is very good news for Indian cricket,” he added.