3 reasons why resting Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the 2nd ODI against the West Indies is a good move

Team India convincingly beat the West Indies during the first ODI at the Kensington Oval a couple of days back.

After bowling out the hosts for a modest score of 114, the visitors chased down the target in just 22.5 overs and five wickets in hand.

During the said run-chase in the first ODI, the management decided to give more game time to the players who were not a part of the recently concluded Test series.

This led to Rohit Sharma batting at number seven in the first ODI. As far as Virat Kohli is concerned, he did not get an opportunity to bat in the said game.

West Indies opt to bowl in the second ODI in Barbados 🌴

Hardik Pandya stands in for Rohit Sharma as captain for India.

📝 #WIvIND: bit.ly/3OaA7f3 pic.twitter.com/vvIFre4k00

In the ongoing second ODI of the series, Hardik Pandya is leading the Indian team with both Sharma and Kohli being rested. Here is a look at three reasons why resting the duo of Sharma and Kohli is the right move:

#1 More game time to limited-overs specialists:

Sanju Samson is playing the second ODI against the West Indies

The World Cup 2023 is just a couple of months away and Team India would want all its players to get in the groove for ODIs.

The likes of Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya have not played competitive cricket post-IPL 2023. The team management has recognized the need to give more match time to the said players. Hence, they have been given priority over Sharma and Kohli in the ongoing series.

In the first ODI, Suryakumar Yadav batted at number three and Pandya was promoted to bat at number four. In the ongoing ODI, Samson has batted at number three. Thus, the team management is looking to give opportunities to all players who are in the mix before the vital World Cup.

#2 Preparing replacements in case of injuries to first-choice players:

Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are vital players in ODIs in the middle order

Team India has had a few injury concerns in the past few months. The vital cog of the Indian middle-order in ODIs, viz Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul, and Rishabh Pant have not played competitive cricket for a few months due to their respective injuries.

While Rahul and Iyer are likely to be fit before the major event, they should in no way be rushed to play competitive cricket. In the unforeseeable event that the duo or either of the said players fail to attain match fitness before the World Cup, the management has identified the likes of Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav to be their replacements.

If Yadav and Samson can make the most of their opportunities and score big runs in the remaining ODIs, they will certainly be in contention for the vital middle-order position for the World Cup.

The management has also given opportunities to Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan to open the batting in both the ODIs. While Kishan has grabbed the opportunities with both hands with two consecutive half-centuries at the top of the order, Gill has failed to continue his consistent run of form in ODIs.

The experiment in the batting order is a make-shift arrangement and having alternate options for each batting position in case of any injury during the World Cup.

#3 Ensuring both Sharma and Kohli remain fit and fresh till the World Cup:

Both Sharma and Kohli spent valuable time in the middle during the two-match Test series against the West Indies. Both of them had a century apiece to their names.

Sharma and Kohli have been playing continuous cricket for the past few months. Post the conclusion of the Border Gavaskar Trophy early this year, the duo were engaged in playing the IPL for almost two months. Thereafter, they were a part of the team that played the WTC finals in England against the Australians.

Thus, Sharma and Kohli have been playing continuous cricket for almost five months. With the Asia Cup and a three-match ODI series against Australia just before the World Cup, the talismanic duo have plenty of cricket lined up in the near future.

Team India are already 1-0 in the three-match ODI series. With the amount of cricket that team India is scheduled to play in the next few months, it is a prudent move to rest the experienced Sharma and Kohli for the second ODI.