BCCI selectors have, apparently, conveyed to Rohit Sharma that he is out of their Test plans beyond the present Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This could mean that should India qualify for the World Test Championship Final of 2025, Jasprit Bumrah might lead the team out against South Africa at Lord’s.
Such speculations about Rohit’s Test future have spiraled after he was absent from India’s squad for the series’ finale, which started on Friday, at Sydney. An internal arrangement between the skipper, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar would have led to excluding him, going by the reports of The Indian Express.
The report also mentioned that similar ‘way forward’ discussion would hold with Virat Kohli after the Sydney Test, while the future of Ravindra Jadeja, who retired from T20Is last year along with Kohli and Rohit, is currently safe, as his experience is anyhow deemed valuable for the team.
The duo has always struggled against Australia as far as big scores are concerned. Kohli has not scored a half-century since his unbeaten 100 in the second innings in Perth, while Rohit scored a best of 10 in his five innings after returning to the team in Adelaide.
There have been many reports with different angles regarding Rohit’s absence from the team, some fielding him as being rested while others propagate that he was dropped by the management. His replacement, Jasprit Bumrah, however, went with the former argument.
”Obviously, our captain has shown his leadership as well. He’s opted to rest in this game. So that shows that there’s a lot of unity in our team; there’s no selfishness; whatever is in the team’s best interest, we’re looking to do that,” Bumrah said at the toss.
It appears that even after the Sydney Test, there is no way that Rohit will return as the selection committee is said to be ‘unanimous’ in looking beyond him. The report also said discussions regarding the 2025 Champions Trophy, also to be played in the 50-over format, could take place when the team returns home.
This last week was indeed packed with so many pulsating events-the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne- making it sound conclusive evidence of Rohit’s last appearance in whites for India..
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