Kohli, Rohit would definitely want to win T20 World Cup for India: Raina

NEW DELHI: India's star batsman

Virat Kohli

hasn’t played a single T20I since the 2022

T20 World Cup

. India captain

Rohit Sharma

had the same story before he led the team in the opening T20I of the three-match series against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday.
Should Virat and Rohit, who have been a guiding force in the Indian batting setup, be included in the T20 World Cup squad? The answer to this question has drawn mixed reactions so far.

However, the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team member and former star cricketer

Suresh Raina

feels India will need the experience of Virat and Rohit in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from June 4 to 30 this year, hosted jointly by the West Indies and the United States.
India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But the Men in Blue have been waiting for an ICC trophy for more than a decade now.

(Photo credit: BCCI)
"India will need both Virat and Rohit in the T20 World Cup. Both have a lot of experience. Virat's form was amazing in the ODI World Cup. Rohit's form was stupendous too. Rohit as a leader brings a lot of quality in the dressing room. He brings a lot of intent in the dressing room,” Raina, who is a cricket expert for JioCinema, told TimesofIndia.com in an interview.

"The major point is where Virat and Rohit will bat. Virat will come in at No. 3 and Rohit will open. The middle order will get a lot of help from these two experienced batters," Raina added.

(TOI photo)
India defeated Pakistan by five runs in the 2007 final, marking their only title win in the showpiece tournament since its inception.
After their 2007 title win, India, in eight editions, managed to enter the final only once in 2014, held in Bangladesh, and lost the final to Sri Lanka by six wickets.
With the 2024 edition being played in the US and the West Indies, Raina is confident that Virat and Rohit will guide India to a title win this time.
"The World Cup will be played in the USA and Caribbean, so wickets will be different. India will need the experienced hands of Virat and Rohit there. When the youth will come, fearless cricket will be played. Shreyas Iyer is there, Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are there. So, India will need experience and that's where Rohit and Virat will play big roles and will be needed by India," Raina said.

"India will need Virat and Rohit especially when we will chase the target in those conditions. They both have played in the World Cup final and are fresh, so they would definitely want to win this World Cup for

Team India

," he said.