Rohit, Kohli Stays in ODI Squad, Shreyas Iyer Becomes Gill’s Deputy in ODI, KL Rahul in Test
NEW DELHI, May 19: Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have been picked subject to their fitness in the India ODI squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan while Rishabh Pant has been dropped as vice-captain of the India Test squad to be replaced by KL Rahul for the one-off test against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli, who is performing well in the current IPL for the RCB, retains his place in the ODI squad.
While Shubman Gill will be captain in both test and ODI series, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for both. Shreyas Iyer will be Gill’s deputy in the ODI series while Rahul and Ishan Kishan will be wicket-keeper options.
Rohit Sharma and Hardik were included but chief selector Ajit Agarkar said their availability would depend on both cricketers clearing the fitness tests. There were some new faces in the squad with Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey picked in both the test and ODI squads.
There were some interesting exclusions from the Test squad as well. Senior cricketers Ravindra Jadeja along with Jasprit Bumrah were rested, with Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey picked as their replacements. However, the chief selector Ajit Agarkar has confirmed that Jadeja is only rested from the Test series and that he is India’s ‘number-one spinner’ in the format.
When it comes to ODIs, Jadeja’s days could be numbered. Agarkar confirmed that the team management is looking beyond them, keeping the South African conditions in mind. However, he, along with Axar Patel are part of the scheme of things.
There were plenty of discussions regarding Rohit’s future in the ODI format, but the team management backed the opener. There were no discussions whatsoever regarding Kohli who has proved his mettle not just in international cricket, but also in IPL.
The Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is currently out of their playing XI, nursing a back injury. He has been spotted batting alone in the nets as Mumbai are yet to share any concrete information regarding the nature of the injury. However, it is not considered to be very serious, else the cricketer would have reported to the Centre of Excellence. Rohit, on the other hand, is playing well for MI, but the management isn’t sure if he is fit to field for 50 overs.
The ODI squad also has several newcomers added, including Prince Yadav, Harsh and Gurnoor. Mohammed Siraj isn’t named in the squad, while Agarkar confirmed that Mohammed Shami was not discussed at all, as they believe he is only fit for T20Is.
The Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI senior men’s selection committee met in Mumbai to finalise India’s squads for the home assignment against Afghanistan. The assignments include a one-off Test in Mullanpur starting June 6, followed by three ODIs scheduled from June 14 across Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Chennai.
Spin bowler Manav Suthar and pacer Gurnoor Brar have earned maiden call-ups to the Test squad. Both are teammates at IPL franchise Gujarat Titans, while Prince Yadav is the new face in the ODI line-up, with Ishan Kishan being the second wicket-keeper.
India Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc) Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel
India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
(Manas Dasgupta)
