Rohit misses practice session, likely to miss match
MIRPUR: Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma’s injuries might be giving the team management some jitters but India will still be firm favourites when they take on a depleted and struggling Sri Lanka in their penultimate league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament on Tuesday. Despite injuries, India have the edge against the Lankan, who they beat 2-1 in a recent home series. (Rohit Sharma Undergoes X-Ray After Being Hit on Toe) Sri Lanka’s captain and primary strike bowler Lasith Malinga, whose knee problem has again flared up, is a doubt for the rest of the tournament. “I don’t know if Lasith will be available in the next two games as it is a fitness related issue. His injury has again flared up,” stand-in captain Angelo Mathews said after their loss against Bangladesh. More than the challenge posed by defending World T20 champions, the Indian team will like to set their house in order as far injuries are concerned. Skipper Dhoni is playing through pain due to the back spasms, which has prevented him from taking part in most of the training sessions. If that wasn’t enough, Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out before the last game against Pakistan, reportedly with a niggle in his left ankle. If Dhawan’s injury wasn’t enough, the latest blow to the Indian team has been Rohit Sharma getting hit on the left toe by a crushing yorker from Mohammed Amir in the game against Pakistan. According to information, a precautionary X-ray has been done and luckily for the Indian batsman no fracture has been detected. But with both openers being injured, it does put a question-mark on the playing XI, which has been more or less same in the last eight T20 games. Meanwhile, Nursing a toe injury, India opener Rohit Sharma on Monday skipped the team’s training session and is likely to miss Tuesday ‘s Asia Cup T20 match against Sri Lanka, here. His opening partner Shikhar Dhawan did train, so did skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had a knock during the two- anda-half-hour net session at the BCB Academy in Shere-Bangla Stadium. Rohit, who took a blow on the left toe off a yorker by Mohammad Amir, did not accompany the team for practice as he stayed back in his hotel room. While he is lucky to have escaped fracture, it is highly unlikely that he will play Tuesday’s game against Sri Lanka, which might increase the soreness of his left toe. With the World T20 starting in a week’s time, the team management will not risk Rohit, who is one of the key players. (PTI)