New Zealand vs India 2020: Mayank Agarwal replaces injured Rohit Sharma in ODIs, Shubman Gill back for the Tests
India's opener in red-ball cricket Mayank Agarwal will replace Rohit Sharma in the upcoming 3-match ODI series against New Zealand after the latter got ruled out of the remaining New Zealand tour. On the other hand, Shubman Gill has got named for the two Tests in his absence along with Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul. Sharma, who scored 60 runs in 41 balls in the fifth T20I in Mount Maunganui, sustained a calf injury while running for a quick single during the match.
A top BCCI source revealed to Press Times of India (PTI) about Rohit Sharma's injury, ahead of the three ODIs, set to begin on Wednesday. The source stated:
He is out of the tour. Right now, it’s not looking good. The physio is assessing him. We will get to know how bad it is but he is not taking any further part in the series.
Mayank Agarwal, who had a sensational year in 2019 with two remarkable double hundreds in Tests, also formed a brilliant partnership with Rohit Sharma in India's dominant run in red-ball cricket at home. The Karnataka batsman will be hoping to receive his maiden ODI cap, as he also replaced Shikhar Dhawan in December against the West Indies but couldn't get a game.
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In the Test squad, Shubman Gill will be awaiting his maiden Test opportunity as he was the backup for Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal in the home series for India. The 20-year-old Delhi batsman sealed his spot after scoring 287 runs in two innings combined for India A in the unofficial Test against New Zealand.
With openers KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw already named in the ODI and Test squad earlier, it will be intriguing to see if India opts to play with a fresh face in Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill in the fold.
