Rohit Sharma misses IPL captain's meet in Ahmedabad due to illness; likely to recover in time for MI's opening match - Reports
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma was a glaring miss during the franchise captains' meet in Ahmedabad ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The other nine captains were present for a photoshoot with the IPL title and were also involved in a meeting where they were briefed about the new rules in the tournament.
According to a report by the Times of India, the veteran opening batter was unwell, though he is expected to recover in time to be available for MI's opening encounter against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
A reliable source told TOI:
"He was unwell and thus could not travel to Ahmedabad for the pre-IPL captains' meeting and photoshoot. He is, however, likely to be available for MI's opening game in IPL-2023 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 2."
Rohit Sharma has a huge challenge ahead of him with MI facing a rare slump in recent times. Since their dominant title win in the 2020 edition, the five-time winners have failed to qualify for the playoffs for two years in a row, including a maiden bottom-placed finish last time around.
MI have shuffled their squad a great deal, adding the likes of Cameron Green and Duan Jansen to their ranks. However, they will miss the services of bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out for the season having recently undergone back surgery in New Zealand.
Rohit Sharma expected to sit out a few IPL 2023 matches to manage workload
While Rohit Sharma is likely to lead his troops in the team's season opener, he might not be playing all of the matches this season. Team India have a testing schedule ahead, headlined by the WTC Final in June as well as the ODI World Cup in the October-November window.
As a result, the Mumbai Indians skipper might pick a few matches to rest over the course of the campaign, considering his responsibilities as the national team captain.
Although the veteran player might not be in the playing XI or the field, he is fully expected to travel with the team and be present in the dugout, offering assistance to the stand-in skipper, if and when required.
Reports have suggested that Suryakumar Yadav would lead the team in Sharma's absence.
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