2023 ODI World Cup The Indian team has retained the number 1 position in the points table by winning all its five matches so far. The style in which Team India is playing cricket, especially the batting of Rohit Sharma, is giving full value to the spectators. Rohit Sharma is setting record after record. Be it the maximum number of 50 sixes or the fastest century by an Indian batsman in 63 balls in the ODI World Cup. But very few people would know that why Rohit Sharma was not a part of Team India in the 2011 ODI World Cup? This puzzle was unsolved for the last 12 years but West Bengal opening batsman Raja Venkat has made a big revelation about it.
Why was Rohit Sharma’s name not there?
In an interview, he said that under the leadership of MS Dhoni, the Indian team had won the 2011 ODI World Cup in India. Young players like Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli were part of the team. Dhoni got the blessings of these stars included in Team India and he made India the second World Cup winner. However, years after that victory, former Bengal batsman Raja Venkat, while talking to RevSports, made a big revelation about Rohit Sharma. Let us tell you that Venkat was a part of the selection panel of the men’s national team between 2008 and 2012. According to him, it was Dhoni who wanted to include leg spinner Piyush Chawla in the team and this was the reason why Rohit Sharma did not get a place in the Indian squad.
There was every chance of Rohit Sharma being selected
According to Venkat, when we sat down to select the players in the team for the 2011 ODI World Cup, there was every chance of Rohit Sharma being selected. Yashpal Sharma and I were in South Africa at that time because India was playing the tournament in South Africa and the other three selectors – Srikkanth, Surendra Bhave and Narendra Hirwani were in Chennai. So when we were selecting the team, players from numbers 1 to 14 were accepted by the panel.
We suggested the name of Rohit Sharma at number 15.
The selectors suggested the name of Rohit Sharma at number 15. Gary Kirsten also thought it would be an ideal choice. But captain MS Dhoni wanted Piyush Chawla. Gary Kirsten advocated this and said – I think this is a better option. In this way Rohit Sharma was thrown out.
Yuvraj performed well with bat and ball
In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj Singh was the star for the team in the World Cup in India. Yuvraj had performed well with bat and ball. He was given the Player of the Series award. Dhoni played an important role in the final in Mumbai. The former Indian captain also helped India win the tournament by hitting the winning six.