Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma has been granted a break from white-ball cricket in South Africa, despite being offered the captaincy for the T20 series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has accepted Sharma’s request, with Jasprit Bumrah named as his deputy for the two Tests starting on December 26.
In addition, Virat Kohli’s request for a break from limited-overs games has also been accepted. Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul will now lead the national team in T20Is and ODIs respectively. However, it has been revealed that Hardik Pandya is no longer guaranteed the T20 captaincy for the T20 World Cup next year, should Sharma decide to participate in the shortest format.
A source from the BCCI, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, “Rohit has been offered T20 captaincy, but he is currently in the UK on holiday and wants an extended break after a grueling season that will conclude with the World Cup. However, if he agrees to lead India in the T20 World Cup, he will do so out of the highest respect for the dressing room.”
Interestingly, most of the players selected for the ODIs do not feature in either the Test or T20I squads. Only three players have been chosen for all three formats – Shreyas Iyer, Mukesh Kumar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Axar Patel has been dropped from the T20 squad, and Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed as the new T20 vice-captain for the series. Meanwhile, Kona Bharat has not been included in the Test squad, as Rahul will now take on the role of wicketkeeper in the Test matches. This decision also opens up two middle-order slots for Iyer and Gaikwad in the Test lineup.
There is hope that Mohammed Shami will recover from his injury in time for the Test series, which is set to begin in late December. “Shami’s injury isn’t very serious at the moment, which is why he has been included in the squad. Prasidh Krishna has been named as his cover just in case,” the BCCI source revealed.
While ODIs are currently considered the least important format, the BCCI is already looking ahead to the 2025 Champions Trophy. A new-look squad under Rahul’s leadership will play the 50-over games. Rajat Patidar, B Sai Sudharshan, and Rinku Singh, all with impressive List A records, have been included in the ODI squad and are expected to form the core of the next 50-over team.
Kuldeep Yadav, who missed out on the Test squad, has been included in both the white-ball squads. Yuzvendra Chahal, who was absent from the World Cup, has made a comeback in the 50-over format, while Ravi Bishnoi has been included in the T20 squad.
Overall, the selection committee has made several strategic decisions in order to give key players a break and build a strong team for the upcoming series.
