WATCH: Team India captain Rohit Sharma sweats it out in nets ahead of ODI series opener against New Zealand
Team India captain Rohit Sharma toiled hard in the nets on Tuesday (January 17) ahead of the upcoming opening encounter of the side's three-match home ODI series against New Zealand.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video on social media, giving fans a glimpse of Sharma's recent practice session. The star batter will be seen in action during the ODI series opener at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday (January 18).
BCCI posted on Twitter:
"#TeamIndia captain @ImRo45 gets into the groove ahead of the #INDvNZ ODI series opener."
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#TeamIndia captain @ImRo45 gets into the groove ahead of the #INDvNZ ODI series opener 👍 👍 https://t.co/NR6DaK56mg
Sharma showcased impressive form during the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Playing his first match after recovering from a thumb injury, the senior batter dazzled viewers with a quick-fire 83-run knock in the opening contest.
He had scores of 17 and 42 in the remaining two fixtures, finishing with 142 runs at an average of 47.33. Rohit Sharma and Co. completed a stunning 3-0 clean sweep over the visitors.
Rohit Sharma not a part of India's T20I squad for New Zealand home series
While Rohit Sharma is set to lead the Men in Blue in the ODIs against New Zealand, he has not been named in the squad for the ensuing T20I series.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya will captain India for the T20Is, while Suryakumar Yadav will serve as a deputy. Sharma has not played a single match in the shortest format since last year's T20 World Cup in Australia.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli weren’t named in the T20I squad for the third consecutive time since the T20 World Cup ❌
Is this the end of the road for two of India’s greatest batters in the shortest format of the game? 👀
#India #TeamIndia #CricketTwitter https://t.co/9VHhkQVjXX
The upcoming 50-over World Cup could be one of the reasons why several senior players, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have been absent from the T20I squad. The team management would want them to focus on ODI cricket, given that they are expected to play a big role in the crucial ICC event.
The T20I series between India and New Zealand will be played across three venues in Ranchi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad beginning January 27.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik.
T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.