T20 best format to try new players to prepare them for ODIs, Tests: Rohit Sharma

India decided to try some youngsters in their opening T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi on Sunday but they could not guide their team to victory. Led by veteran Mushfiqur Rahim’s brilliant unbeaten fifty, the visitors won their first-ever T20I match against India and took 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The hosts now have to get their act together in the second game of the series which will take place in Rajkot on Thursday.

India are being led in the series by Rohit Sharma as regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested. Rohit, who otherwise have a good captaincy record, failed with the bat in Delhi as well. However, the stand-in captain has yet backed the decision to play new players saying T20I is the best format where they could be tried before shifting them to the ODIs and Tests. The Indian side in the first match featured young players like Khaleel Ahmed, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Chahar.

India have tasted less success in the shortest format compared to the ODIs and Tests in recent times. They won two series abroad last year – against South Africa and England – but drew Australia Down Under, lost to New Zealand, lost to Australia at home and besides winning a series in the West Indies, drew a series against South Africa at home.

“This is the format where we are trying a lot of players. The key players are not involved (in this series) so we are trying the younger players who are sitting on the fringe. That is one of the reasons because in other formats we have our entire squad playing,” said Rohit on the eve of the Rajkot game as saying when asked why the Indian team was not successful in the T20s as compared to ODIs and Tests.

The ace batsman, who made a remarkable comeback to Test cricket recently against the Proteas, said the team wants to try different players in the T20s as “they can express themselves and get ready for ODIs and Tests”.

India want a strong bench, Rohit Sharma adds

“This is the format where you can try (new players), and there is no harm in doing that. We have seen a lot of players who have emerged from this format, who have gone on to play ODI and Test formats,” Rohit said, adding that India want to have strong bench strength.

He also mentioned that winning games still remained the top priority. India are ranked fifth in T20Is, which is much below their rank in Tests (first) and ODIs (second).