India’s skipper Rohit Sharma returned to form after two consecutive ducks in the T20I series against Afghanistan. Rohit scored an unbeaten century in the third and final T20I. Aside from Rohit, Rinku Singh rose to the occasion, forming an undefeated partnership of 190 runs with the skipper to propel the team from 22/4 to 212/4. In a recent interview, Rohit was asked about the T20 World Cup lineups and the mindset he and head coach Rahul Dravid have on the matter.

Rohit responded bluntly, acknowledging that it is impossible to please everyone. Rohit admitted that the 15-member squad hasn’t yet been finalized as the team management is still looking at 8-10 players. So, we will make our combinations according to the conditions. In the West Indies, the conditions are slow, so we’ll have to pick our team accordingly. As far as Rahul Dravid and I are concerned, we’ve tried to maintain clarity, said Rohit.

We try to tell them why they’ve been selected or not been selected even after putting in performances. You can’t keep everyone happy, that is what I’ve learned in my time as captain. You can keep 15 players happy. Then also, only 11 are happy. The four players sitting on the bench also ask why they’re not playing. I’ve learned that you can’t keep everyone happy, and the focus should be on the team’s goal, Rohit expressed.

The Afghanistan series was Men in Blue’s last T20 assignment before the T20 World Cup this year. The players’ selection will now depend on their performances in the upcoming Indian Premier League, which starts on March 23, 2024.