Kohli, Rohit out of India squad for NZ T20s

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been left out of India´s T20 squad for the home series against New Zealand as selectors ponder major long-term changes.

November´s World Cup semi-final drubbing to England prompted soul-searching in India and talk among the cricket board of easing out senior players.

Both men remain in the one-day squad for the visit of the Black Caps. Kohli hammered 113 off 87 balls to drive a big win over Sri Lanka in an ODI at Guwahati on Tuesday. Skipper Rohit made 83. Batsman KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel will sit out the ODI and T20 matches against New Zealand because of family commitments, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said.

It did not give reasons however for the T20 omissions of Kohli and regular all-format captain Rohit.

Hardik Pandya will continue to skipper the T20 side, having done so against Sri Lanka earlier this month.

The three-match ODI series against New Zealand begins on Wednesday in Hyderabad while the first of three T20 matches takes place at Ranchi on January 27.