26 November,2023 04:54 PM IST | Manesar | mid-day online correspondent
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (Pic: AFP)
Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara on Sunday backed batting superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to represent India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 to be held next year in the West Indies and USA, claiming that the duo has a lot of experience of Caribbean conditions.
Both Rohit and Virat have not been part of India's T20I team since the last year's ten-wicket loss to England in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals held in Australia. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad as a young batting unit are being tried out in their absence and prepared for the future.
Lara, however, feels that no matter which team gets picked in the end, they will be a force to be reckoned with, but Virat-Rohit offer a lot of experience playing in the Caribbean.
"I think whichever team India picks, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. But you can't replace experience. What Virat and Rohit bring a lot of experience. They know the conditions in the Caribbean. They have played there. I wouldn't say that they should dictate their future but I think the sort of players, the legends that they are in the game, I am almost sure there will be a lot of respect in finding out what they want to do, how far they want to push it and make the decision then..," said Lara to ANI.
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Statistically, Virat and Rohit are two of the best T20I batters ever. In 115 matches, Virat leads the run-scoring charts with 4,008 runs at an average of 52.73, with one century and 37 fifties. His best score is 122' and his strike rate is 137.96.
Rohit is the second-highest run-scorer in the format, scoring 3,853 runs at an average of 31.32 and a strike rate of 139.24. His best score is 118. He has four centuries and 29 fifties in the format.
In the Caribbean, Virat has played 33 international games, scoring 1,597 runs at an average of 49.90, with six centuries and seven fifties. His best score here is 200.
Similarly, Rohit in this region has played 29 international matches, scoring 1,004 runs at an average of 50.20, with one century and nine fifties. His best score is 103.
(With agency inputs)
