Why isn't Rohit Sharma playing the first India-England T20I?
In what came as a left-field call for most fans, India's vice-captain Rohit Sharma is missing from the Indian team's playing XI for the first T20I on Friday. It has come to light that the 33-year-old has been rested by the management for the first two matches of the series, with KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan set to open the innings in his absence.
Rohit Sharma won't mind a couple of days off from international cricket, considering that the opener has been a constant part of India's Test side of late. The right-handed batsman played an important role in the last two Tests in Australia and emerged as India's top-scorer in the recently concluded 4-Test series against England.
Virat Kohli confirmed the development at the toss on Friday.
"KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan will open the innings. Rohit is rested for the first two games," said Kohli.
Rohit Sharma has played 37 T20Is in India. He has scored 928 runs at an average of 28.12 in these games. Overall, in 108 T20Is he has scored 2773 runs at 32.24, striking at 138.79.
KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan's will have to shoulder increased onus in Rohit Sharma's absence
IPL 2020's highest Indian scorers, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan have been reunited in Rohit Sharma's absence. The duo last featured together in the 3-match T20I series against Australia last year. Both returned identical figures from those games - 81 runs at an average of 27.
As India's highest-ranked batsman in T20Is, KL Rahul is a sure-shot pick for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Shikhar Dhawan, however, with his failure in the first T20I, might have dented his chances of sealing a spot in the squad.
While aiming for their personal achievements, the duo will also need to come good in the remaining T20Is in a bid to give India a strong start at the top of the order.
India (Playing XI): KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal