NEW DELHI: Former West Indies cricket stalwart, Chris Gayle, has expressed his belief that Indian captain Rohit Sharma will play a crucial role in India's preparations for the upcoming T20I World Cup scheduled in the West Indies and the USA in June 2024.

Gayle, known as the "Universe Boss," emphasised that players of Rohit and Virat Kohli's stature, given their recent performances in the ODI World Cup, should have the leverage to decide on their future in the national team."Those guys have to make a call for themselves.

If they want to play, why not? They have done a lot for the country and they deserve to make a call on themselves," said Gayle while speaking to IANS during a media roundtable on the sidelines of Legends League Cricket (LLC), where he is representing the Gujarat Giants.Rohit Sharma recently surpassed Gayle's record for the most sixes across all formats, earning praise from the West Indies legend for his aggressive style of batting.

Gayle congratulated Rohit, stating, "I like his aggressive batting.

I want batters to destroy bowlers, and Rohit Sharma is one of them who does that."The Universe Boss also commended Virat Kohli for surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most ODI centuries during the ODI World Cup.

Acknowledging the achievement, Gayle remarked, "To get the 50 ODI century is unbelievable.

It was just fantastic to break the record of a legendary player like Sachin Tendulkar.

And I don't see anyone getting close to that record."Despite being a cricketing legend himself, Gayle expressed his excitement about participating in the Legends League Cricket (LLC), emphasising that cricket is his life and being part of such leagues is a fantastic experience.

Playing alongside former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis and opening the batting is a dream come true for Gayle in the shortest format.PM Modi consoles team India in dressing room after World Cup final loss against Australia"Cricket is my life, it is in my blood, and it has given me everything.

So when you get a chance to play cricket in a league like Legends League Cricket (LLC), it's fantastic to be here.

It is a win-win situation for everybody," said Gayle.

"Good to be a part of LLC my second stint with them.

Good to share the dressing rooms with all the Legends of the game.

I get to open the batting with Kallis; it is a great feeling," he concluded.(With inputs from IANS)