3 reasons why Rohit Sharma's retired-hurt is a major worry for India
India suffered a major injury scare in their third T20I against the West Indies on Tuesday (August 2), with their captain Rohit Sharma retiring hurt due to back spasms.
The 34-year-old walked off gingerly in the second innings after scoring 11 off five balls. The captain himself even downplayed the extent of the injury in the post-match interview. He said:
"My body is okay. We have a few days in the middle in between, so hopefully, I'll be okay."
India still have two games to play in the five-match series against the West Indies, which will be played in Florida on Saturday and Sunday. respectively. Rohit could be a doubt for that game, meaning Hardik Pandya could be in contention to lead the side.
The Indian captain has been a pivotal part of the side and there's no doubt that his injury will be a major blow for his side. In this article, we break down why.
#1 With Rohit Sharma injured, India lose their best opener
There have been a lot of musical chairs at the top of the order for India in recent times. With KL Rahul's extended injury, India have tried a number of opening combinations alongside Rohit Sharma.
Rishabh Pant opened the batting in the T20I series against England, while Suryakumar Yadav has taken the opening slot in the ongoing series against the West Indies.
While there's still no confirmation on what the opening combination might be for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, it's clear that the Indian captain will be one of the two openers. He is the highest run-scorer in the world in this format and will be a huge loss to any side.
#2 Captaincy dilemma
@BCCI KL Rahul ✅
Rohit Sharma ✅
Rishabh Pant ✅
Hardik Pandya ✅
Shikhar Dhawan ✅
Fifth different captain for Team India in white-ball cricket this year 😳
#ShikharDhawan #India #WIvsIND #Cricket #ODIs https://t.co/41EpaucAWN
Ever since the captaincy saga with Virat Kohli went down, it feels like India have played a bit of musical chairs with the armband. Rohit Sharma was appointed as the all-format captain but missed out on the South Africa tour, meaning KL Rahul took over the captaincy role.
Rishabh Pant took the armband in the T20I series at home against South Africa after Rahul was injured, while Hardik Pandya led a young side against Ireland.
Rohit returned to the fold in the recent series against England, but with him injured again, India might be searching for another captain soon.
#3 A major concern for India ahead of the Asia Cup
While the captain downplayed his injury in the post-match interviews, there will still be slight worry for India, considering his injury record over the years. With a tournament like the Asia Cup coming up, India will want their full strength squad available.
The Indian contingent hasn't played too many games together in recent times and the Asia Cup would be the perfect opportunity to do so. It will also give them the platform to test themselves in competitive situations in a tournament atmosphere, ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.