'Seniors had their go, should've moved on after last T20 World Cup': Uthappa unfiltered on Rohit Sharma-led India squad

Team India will aim to end the country's 11-year ICC title drought when it kickstarts the T20 World Cup campaign next month. Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team, with Hardik Pandya being named his deputy; the team also features star batter Virat Kohli and returning wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, among other notable names. However, Shubman Gill, the star Indian opener, didn't find a place in the 15-member squad for the World Cup; more surprising was the absence of Rinku Singh, who had been a T20I regular over the past year.

Former India batter Robin Uthappa touched upon the subject during the pre-match show for the clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. The match was washed out, with the Titans ending their campaign at 12 points while the Sunrisers booked a berth in the playoffs. The relentless delay allowed former cricketers at the JioCinema show to discuss in detail the performances of some of the youngsters from both sides, notably Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, and Shubman Gill.

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Scott Styris, the former New Zealand all-rounder, reminded Uthappa of the 2007 T20 World Cup when the latter got an opportunity to play after a host of senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and Anil Kumble made themselves unavailable for the tournament. The Kiwi ex-cricketer asked Uthappa whether a similar step should be taken by the present Indian seniors in the T20I side after the upcoming T20 WC.

While Uthappa agreed to Styris, he insisted that the step should have been taken after the previous edition of the tournament, held in 2022. India had lost in the edition's semi-finals to England, who eventually lifted the trophy.

“I'm gonna catch a lot of flak for this, but I'll take it. I think they should've moved on after the previous World Cup itself,” Uthappa said.

"I think the youngsters should've played in this World Cup. The senior players have had their go, and these guys are showing true potential. The fact that they've been performing in IPL consistently... a lot of these guys who are performing now, the likes of Shubman Gill should be there.

“He (Gill) should be part of any World Cup right now. The potential, the ability, the hunger he has got in his own game and what he wants to achieve is tremendous. The opportunity for all of that should be present. They should get the opportunity at the highest stage, like the World Cup,” Uthappa said.

Gill is among the four-man reserve list for the T20 World Cup, which also includes Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan, and left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed.

India's campaign at T20 WC

Team India will kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5, with a meeting against arch-rivals Pakistan scheduled on June 8 in New York. Both India and Pakistan are expected to ease through their group stage, with the remaining teams being Ireland, hosts USA, and Canada.