"The timing has to be better" - Mohammad Azharuddin on Kohli's request for a break
Former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin sided with Virat Kohli's desire to skip the ODI series but said that the timing has to be better. The 33-year-old's request comes following the handover of the ODI captaincy to Rohit Sharma.
Virat Kohli has informed that he's not available for the ODI series & Rohit Sharma is unavailable fr d upcoming test. There is no harm in takin a break but d timing has to be better. This just substantiates speculation abt d rift. Neither wil be giving up d other form of cricket.
Kohli's only captaincy responsibility comes in the form of the Indian Test team. He has relinquished T20 leadership in all capacity since the T20 World Cup. The BCCI was keen on only keeping one captain in white-ball cricket. Hence, Rohit Sharma was appointed as the ODI and T20I captain of the Indian team. Azharuddin shed his opinion on the ongoing volatile situation with a tweet that read:
"Virat Kohli has informed that he's not available for the ODI series & Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the upcoming test. There is no harm in taking a break but the timing has to be better. This just substantiates speculation about the rift. Neither will be giving up the other form of cricket."
Rohit Sharma will not be part of the Test squad after suffering an injury during practice. Kohli, on the other hand, wishes to opt out of the ODI series to be with his family on the occasion of his daughter's first birthday.
India to tour South Africa without a deputy alongside Kohli
Rohit Sharma was appointed as the vice-captain of the Test team by the BCCI, ending Ajinkya Rahane's stint with the post. With the 34-year-old's absence from the three-match series, no vice-captain has been assigned for the tour.
NEWS - Priyank Panchal replaces injured Rohit Sharma in India's Test squad.
Rohit sustained a left hamstring injury during his training session here in Mumbai yesterday. He has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match Test series against South Africa.
#SAvIND | @PKpanchal9 https://t.co/b8VgoN52LW
Injury concerns have also sidelined the likes of Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel for the tour. Rohit Sharma, however, is expected to be fit to lead the team in his very first assignment in the form of the three-match ODI series.
Team India are expected to depart for South Africa on December 16 and have entered a bio-bubble in Mumbai. The tour will start with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion. The ODI series will begin from January 19 in Paarl.