The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that Indian cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will participate in the ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan next year.
Speaking to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Shah asserted that the two senior players will be integral to India's squad for the prestigious ODI tournament.
Following India's triumphant campaign in the T20 World Cup held in the Caribbean, where they secured a thrilling victory over South Africa, Shah expressed his confidence in the depth and future prospects of the Indian team.
He highlighted his ambition for India to clinch upcoming tournaments, including the Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship.
"I want India to win all the titles. We have the strongest bench strength; only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises," Shah stated. "The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. The seniors will be there."
Shah’s statement confirmed that both Kohli and Sharma, despite their recent retirement from T20 internationals, will continue to play crucial roles in the ODI and Test formats. The two players decided to step back from T20Is after India's narrow seven-run victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final.
Eyes on World Test Championship and Champions Trophy
The BCCI Secretary underscored his focus on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle and the upcoming Champions Trophy, following India’s recent success in the T20 World Cup. India has now joined West Indies and England as the only teams to have won the T20 World Cup twice.
“The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there,” Shah reiterated.
He backed Rohit Sharma as the captain, noting that despite India's undefeated run in the ODI World Cup 2023, they fell short in the final against Australia. However, the recent victory in Barbados highlighted the team's resilience and experience.
“It was the same captain last year and here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title. Experience counts in World Cups; you can’t experiment much,” he added.
Shah also emphasized the significant contributions of experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, particularly highlighting Rohit's impressive strike rate compared to younger players. The recent retirements of Sharma and Kohli from T20Is signal their dedication to focusing on Test and ODI formats, with an eye on upcoming major tournaments.
