Rohit Sharma likely to be rested for part of West Indies tour - Reports
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma might be rested for some part of the upcoming all-format West Indies tour. The Men in Blue are scheduled to tour the Caribbean to play two Tests, five T20Is, and three ODIs from July 12 to August 13.
Rohit has had a hectic workload ever since taking captaincy duties across all formats, which has not helped his form with the bat. Barring a few odd promising knocks here and there, which includes an ODI hundred against New Zealand and a Test hundred against Australia, Rohit has not been able to stitch up a string of solid displays.
He endured a horrid IPL campaign with the Mumbai Indians (MI), scoring only 332 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 132.80. He could not make much of an impression at the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval either.
Stating that the skipper could either miss the Test series or the white-ball assignments altogether, a source close to developments told the Times of India:
“Rohit looked a bit jaded during the IPL and the World Test Championship final in England. The selectors want him to rest for some part of the West Indies tour. He’s likely to miss the Tests or the eight-match white-ball series (three ODIs and five T20Is) to follow. The selectors will speak to Rohit and then take a decision."
If Rohit is rested from the two-match Test series, the leadership duties might go down to Ajinkya Rahane, who has made a strong case for himself with his recent resurgence.
While Cheteshwar Pujara is battling for his place in the playing XI owing to poor form, he will receive another chance if both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are rested for the Test series.
Selectors to pick the teams for West Indies tour on June 27 following clarity on Rohit Sharma's situation - Sources
Following a hectic first half of the year, and the impending hectic schedule for the remaining half, Team India are currently on a month-long break following the WTC final.
The second half of the year will begin with the tour of the West Indies, which will be followed up by important assignments like the 2023 Asia Cup as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The squads for the Caribbean tour are likely to be picked by the selectors on June 27, one day prior to the commencement of the Duleep Trophy in Bangalore.
The tour of the West Indies will start with the first Test on July 12 in Dominica, officially kickstarting Team India's 2023-25 WTC cycle.