Ind vs Aus 2020: Sourav Ganguly explains Rohit Sharma’s omission from the ODIs and T20Is
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly recently explained Rohit Sharma’s absence from India’s limited overs squads against Australia. Ganguly said that the 33-year-old opening batsman has not yet recovered completely from his hamstring injury.
Rohit Sharma suffered a hamstring tear in his left leg on October 18th during the Mumbai Indians’ encounter against the Kings XI Punjab in Dubai. After missing the subsequent four games, the MI skipper returned for the final three matches and helped MI seal their 5th IPL title with a 51-ball 68 in the final.
“Rohit is still 70 percent [fit]... Why don’t you find out from Rohit himself? That is why he is still not picked for the ODIs and the T20Is Down Under. He has been added to the Test squad,” Sourav Ganguly told The Week.
Initially, the national selectors omitted him from all three squads before eventually adding him to the Test setup on November 9th. Rohit Sharma, though, hasn’t travelled with the rest of the team to Australia.
Sharma is scheduled to undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru before flying to Adelaide for the Test, which starts on December 17th.
Wriddhi is travelling to Australia because he will be fit for Tests: Sourav Ganguly
Wriddhiman Saha hasn’t yet recovered fully either, after injuring his hamstring ahead of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eliminator against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The wicketkeeper-batsman has travelled with the rest of the squad to Australia.
Sourav Ganguly slammed people for questioning the functioning of BCCI and raising questions about its selections and choices.
"Who should know [about player injuries]? We know, the Indian physio knows, the NCA knows... I think people don't know how the BCCI works. The BCCI trainers, physio and Wriddhi himself know that he has two hamstring issues. People don't understand injuries, that is why they talk rubbish," Sourav Ganguly stated.
Sourav Ganguly, however, confirmed that Saha had been monitored by physios during the entirety of IPL 2020, and he will be fully fit for the 4-match Test series.
"Wriddhi is travelling to Australia because he will be fit for the Tests. He is not part of the shorter format squads. For the entire duration of the IPL, Indian physios and trainers were in Dubai. [India physio] Dr. Nitin Patel is managing injuries and monitoring it all," Sourav Ganguly signed off.
On the other hand, fast bowler Ishant Sharma is a part of India’s Test squad, but he is not travelling anytime soon after being ruled out of the recently-concluded IPL 2020 on October 12 with a rib-cage injury.
India’s tour of Australia will start with the ODIs on November 27th, followed by the 3-match T20I series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on December 17th.