The BCCI created quite a stir with Indian cricket fans when they omitted Rohit Sharma from the list of players who were going to tour Australia. Sharma’s name was omitted from all three formats as the selectors claimed he was injured and unfit for selection.
The Mumbai Indians skipper has sat out the last few games as he is recovering from an injury. However, the Mumbai Indians franchise posted pictures on Instagram showing Rohit Sharma practicing in the nets and gave fans the impression that he was close to making a comeback in time for the IPL playoffs.
BCCI To Conduct Fitness Test
The BCCI had to answer a lot of questions concerning Rohit Sharma’s omission and injury concerns given the fact that he was not resting but training for the Mumbai Indians. The BCCI has confirmed that they will give Rohit Sharma another chance to qualify this week. If he can pass his fitness tests, they will look to include him on the tour to Australia.
Rohit Sharma is one of the most senior players in the squad and is the vice-captain for India in both the ODI and T20 formats. Sharma has also started opening in the test format and is looking to lock down the test opener slot.
The fitness test is going to be very interesting, especially if Sharma fails it. If he passes, he will be included in the tour to Australia and will most likely lead the Mumbai Indians in the IPL playoffs.
If he fails the BCCI fitness test, he will not get on the plane to Australia and it will be very interesting to see what stance the Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma takes regarding the IPL playoffs. Sharma has a chance to create history by leading the Mumbai Indians to their 5th IPL Championship. Whether he will risk his health and play for the Mumbai Indians remains to be seen.
Ravi Shastri Advises Rohit To Not Rush
Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has had a relatively quiet 2020 due to COVID-19 and the IPL being staged in November. He is currently in the UAE in a bubble, getting ready for the tour down under.
Shastri would definitely like Rohit Sharma to be on the tour to Australia as his experience and leadership will make a huge difference, given the fact that captain Virat Kohli could miss the 3rd or 4th test in Jan 2021 as he could fly back to India for the birth of his first child.
However, Ravi Shastri does not want Rohit Sharma to rush back without fully recovering from his injury. Shastri used himself as an example and said he did a similar thing in 1991 when he came back hastily from an injury to tour Australia. Shastri was not at a hundred percent and said that hasty decision caused him to cut his cricketing career short by five years.
He does not want the same thing to happen to Rohit Sharma and said at the end of the day, he was experienced enough to know how his body felt and how much it could take.
KL Rahul Named Vice-Captain
The selectors have named KL Rahul has the vice-captain for the ODI and T20 series. Rahul has established himself to be a key player in the shorter format of the game, especially after taking over wicket-keeper responsibilities.
He has done a good job with captaining the Kings XI Punjab franchise during IPL 2020 and the selectors have rewarded him with the vice-captain role based on his leadership skills. Should Rohit Sharma miss the Australian tour, KL Rahul will not only have to shoulder a bigger responsibility in terms of leadership but also in the batting department.
