“Selectors would have asked Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma, they would have refused” - Aakash Chopra on veteran duo skipping India A vs Australia A series

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has stated that the Indian veteran duo Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might have refused to play the upcoming India A vs Australia A series, starting on Tuesday, September 30, in Kanpur.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra has asserted that the Indian talismanic batters haven’t played competitive cricket for a long time and felt that they should’ve taken part in the ‘A’ series. Notably, a lot of players from the Asia Cup squad will be a part of the ‘A’ series.

"Neither Rohit nor Kohli is playing. Of course, it's the India A matches against Australia A, and under normal circumstances, we would say it doesn't make a difference as Rohit and Kohli wouldn't play. However, if you see when was the last time they played competitive cricket, Kohli last played in the IPL final and Rohit Sharma played even before that," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"I am sure the selectors would have asked them and they would have refused. Why am I saying that the selectors would have asked them? Considering the team that has been picked, it has even been tried to include the Asia Cup players, so that some form stays with them and they keep playing competitive games," he added.

"I personally feel that when you haven't played cricket for such a long time, you have to give yourself some chance, that you get a little rhythm and play a few games. If you are not going to play at all, you are not setting yourself up for success," he stated.

While Rajat Patidar will lead the India A squad in the first one-dayer, Tilak Varma will be the captain in the second and third one-dayers. Green Park in Kanpur will act as the venue for all three games of the series. 

India A squad for the 1st one-day match: Rajat Patidar (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (wk), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh.

India A squad for 2nd and 3rd one-day: Tilak Varma (c), Rajat Patidar (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.

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