IND vs ZIM: 3 reasons why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should have played the ODI series
Team India have had a relentless schedule in recent times. In such times, squad rotation becomes a critical factor.
India are currently playing a T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean. After the tour ends on August 7, the team will visit Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI series, starting on August 18
#TeamIndia for 3 ODIs against Zimbabwe: Shikhar Dhawan (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced the Indian squad for the tour, with big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli missing out. Shikhar Dhawan will continue to lead the side in the absence of senior players who are rested, keeping the Asia Cup in mind.
While India will play a second-string side against Zimbabwe, we take a look at three reasons why Rohit and Kohli should have been a part of the tour.
#1 There is no substitute for spending time in the middle
Even the best players might feel a bit rusty if they don't play a competitive match in a while and this argument holds true for Kohli as well.
The former Indian captain has been going through a rough patch for quite some time now. Rohit, too, has struggled for consistency in recent times. With all due respect to Zimbabwe, they are counted amongst the minnows on the international circuit.
With good batting conditions and considerably weaker opposition on offer, the two star batters would have fancied their chances of getting some game time and runs under their belts.
#2 The left-arm seamer test for Rohit and his side
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It's no secret that the Indian top-order batters have struggled against the left-arm pacers. The most recent example was Obed McCoy's six-wicket haul in the second T20I against the West Indies.
Reece Topley and David Willey, the English duo, also enjoyed a fair bit of success against the Indian top order in the recent white-ball series'. Keeping that in mind, Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani could be a huge threat for India.
Rohit, in particular, has struggled against the left-armers. Shaheen Afridi's destructive spell at the 2021 T20 World Cup will be fresh in the minds of the Indians, who will want to avoid a repeat of that.
#3 The team needs to play together in the build-up to major tournaments
The wait is finally over as the battle for Asian supremacy commences on 27th August with the all-important final on 11th September.
The 15th edition of the Asia Cup will serve as ideal preparation ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. https://t.co/QfTskWX6RD
In the build-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, Team India have been flexible in their selections, offering opportunities to several fringe players. While the idea is right, the team will want to build some stability in the build-up to a major tournament.
There hasn't been much stability with the captaincy either. Rohit has been injured/rested on several occasions, meaning the likes of Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya have had to step up into the leadership role.
With the Asia Cup not too far away either, this would have been an ideal opportunity for both Rohit and Kohli to get into the groove by being a part of the playing XI.