New Delhi, Feb 19: Rohit Sharma was on Saturday appointed the 35th Test captain of the Indian team as selectors initiated the transition phase by dropping struggling veterans Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha and Ishant Sharma for the Sri Lanka series.
On Saturday, chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma made it clear that “Rohit was the unanimous choice” and will be the bridge between the new and old in the current set-up as they groom three potential captaincy materials in KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. All three have led or been deputy at some point.
The Sri Lanka Tests series, starting March 4, will also mark comeback of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has recovered from a knee injury. Shubman Gill too has recovered from shin stress fracture.
Washington Sundar and KL Rahul are nursing their hamstrings. Kuldeep Yadav has been brought back into the Test team.
Pant along with Virat Kohli has been rested while rookie left-arm spinner from Uttar Pradesh Saurabh Kumar made his maiden entry into Test side.
Under Rohit, the aim is to groom new captains and it became clear that KL Rahul after a poor show in South Africa is no longer the automatic heir apparent. “…and if such a big cricketer comes forward, if such an experienced player becomes a captain, then automatically, the things that we as a selection committee want, grooming captain under Rohit, will be tremendous thing for us,” Sharma outlined his committee’s vision.
Sharma tried to soften the blow about the exclusion of Pujara, Rahane, Saha and Ishant.
As it has been this committee’s policy, they will give Hanuma Vihari (replacement of Pujara) and Shubman Gill (replacement of Rahane) full chance to settle in the middle-order. “Selection committee after a long deliberation has come to this decision, we have spoken to them (Pujara and Rahane) earlier and we have told them that we will not consider them for the two matches against Sri Lanka,” Sharma was crystal clear.
India’s Test squad
Rohit Sharma (C), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (WK), KS Bharat (WK), R Ashwin (subject to fitness), Ravi Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Saurabh Kumar.
India T20 squad
Rohit Sharma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Bhuveshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Mohammad Siraj, Sanju Samson (WK), Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan. (PTI)
