"Phasing Out Seniors...": Ex-India Opener Lists Ajit Agarkar's Tough Calls

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar was named chairman of India's senior men's selection committee earlier this week. However, former India batter Aakash Chopra feels that Agarkar will have some tough decisions to make, especially deciding the T20I future of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. While Rohit and Kohli are in West Indies to take part in the upcoming Test and ODI assignments, Rahul is recovering from a knee injury at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Both Rohit and Kohli, however, have not been selected for the T20Is.

"Tough calls to be taken, honestly speaking. Why am I saying that? Rohit Sharma as a captain after 2023? Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul as T20 players, that's a call the previous selectors have taken for sure but how do you go forward with that?" Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

Chopra suggested that Agarkar will have to come up with a plan to ensure smooth transitioning of India's T20I setup.

"Then when do you start phasing out the seniors? Phase out perhaps is a wrong word but phasing out means that you want to start moving in a different direction. So how will you do that? When will you do that? What will be the communication?," he added.

Chopra, however, suggested that Agarkar is capable of taking tough calls, having previously served as the selector of Mumbai.

"I am expecting all that from Ajit. When Ajit was Mumbai's selectors, something similar happened and that is why he probably had to resign in the end. He has got immense respect from his peers and he is the one who can take the tough calls," he concluded.

Notably, Rohit and Kohli have not played a T20I since the World Cup semi-final defeat to England last year in Australia.

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