Should Rohit and Kohli be reserved for ODIs and Tests? Shastri gives his take on new Indian T20I breed

The continuing Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen an average performance from former Indian skipper Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In contrast, current Test and One-Day International (ODI) skipper Rohit Sharma has produced a mediocre performance for former five-time record champion Mumbai Indians (MI).

Meanwhile, the young breed of Indian players has shone in the competition. On the same note, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri feels that Kohli and Rohit should only be reserved for ODIs and Tests, whereas the young performers in the IPL should make their way into the Twenty20 International (T20I) side.

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Interacting with ESPN Cricinfo, Shastri spoke, "Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in that direction [of youngsters fairing in the IPL] so that they get the opportunities and exposure whilst you keep the Virats and the Rohits fresh for one-day cricket and Test cricket."

"Your focus there with that kind of experience should move to Test cricket, red-ball cricket for the future World Test Championship, and they stay fresh [so that] there is not too much of cricket where there is an overkill," added Shastri. He was all praise for the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Verma and Rinku Singh, who have fared well in IPL 2023.

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"First T20 series that comes up [West Indies], play these guys [the youngsters], expose these guys. They [the selectors] should start blooding them right now. One year is a long time. Players can be in form. The form can disappear. You will pick the best guys at the time, and then experience and fitness will count. Who is hot at the moment, who is consistent, who has got the runs and where he has got the runs," Shastri explained.

Shastri also explained how playing a top-order lad in the middle order hampers the team. "It should be the right man for the right job. It shouldn't be a guy who bats at three or four for his franchise, and suddenly you make him bat at six or open the innings when it comes to picking a team for India. I want the mix of left-hand-right-hand batting combination. I want to see left-handers as you look for a left-armer with the ball. You see this IPL, teams that have done well, look at their mix," described Shastri.

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Eventually, Shastri entrusted his faith to all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the T20I skipper and concluded, "Oh, you will get that right with Hardik. He'll get that right where he will want his six bowlers, including himself and players, for the right numbers. Just seeing how he has captained Gujarat Titans, you can see a player for a number and a role he will take forward to the Indian team."