NEW DELHI, Nov 9: Indian opener Rohit Sharma, who was initially dropped from the Indian squad for the coming Australia tour due to injury, has been taken back in the team but only for the Test series. The senior India selection committee and the BCCI medical team after consulting the opener decided to rest him from the ODI and T20I series in Australia.
Rohit after being dropped from the Indian squad, turned up to play the last league match for Mumbai Indians in the IPL currently being held in the UAE showing his fitness following which a row was created over his exclusion from the Australia series.
The BCCI on Monday announced that their medical team have monitored Rohit’s condition and has decided to rest him from the limited overs leg to regain full fitness for the Test series starting from December 17.
“The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma’s fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same. In consultation with Mr Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” the BCCI release said.
The BCCI also provided updates on Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma, and Varun Chakravarthy and announced a revised India ODI, T20I and Test squad for the Australia tour. India captain Virat Kohli, whose wife Anushka Sharma was expecting by January, at the virtual selection committee meeting on October 26 had informed the BCCI that he wanted to return after the first test to be with his wife during her first delivery and the cricket board has granted him the paternity leave.
The selection committee has added Sanju Samson as an additional wicket-keeper in India’s ODI squad. Is watching fast bowler Ishant Sharma’s rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru before taking a call on his selection and has dropped Varun Chakravarthy from the T20 squad due to his injury and has taken T Natarajan as a replacement. Wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and bowler Kamlesh Nagarkoti are also doubtful starters due to injuries.
Following are the revised Indian squads:
Team India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan.
Team India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper).
Team India Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj.
(Manas Dasgupta)
