Highlights
- Virat Kohli to leave for India after the first Test in Adelaide
- Virat Kohli and wife Anushka Sharma expecting their first child in early January
- Rohit Sharma to return to the Test squad
The BCCI’s Selection Committee has made these changes after receiving injury reports and updates from the BCCI Medical Team and to accommodate Indian captain Virat Kohli’s paternity leave application.
Virat Kohli to leave after the first Test
Indian cricket fans in Australia will miss watching the Indian skipper in action after the first Test scheduled in Adelaide from December 17-21.
Kohli who is expecting his first child with Bollywood actress-producer Anushka Sharma in early January has been granted paternity leave and will return to India after the first Test in Adelaide.
“At the selection committee meeting held on October 26th, 2020, Mr Virat Kohli had informed the BCCI about his plans to return to India after the first Test in Adelaide. The BCCI has granted paternity leave to the Indian captain. He will return after the first Test against Australia in Adelaide,” Jay Shah, BCCI’s Honorary Secretary announced on Monday.
Rohit Sharma included in the Test squad
Rohit Sharma who was initially left out of all the squads due to a hamstring injury while playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, has now been cleared to play the Test matches against Australia.
"The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma's fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same," the statement said.
"In consultation with Mr Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India's Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," it concluded.
Rohit Sharma missed four games in the IPL but soon returned to play for Mumbai Indians for their final league game and the Qualifier 1 match against Delhi Capitals.
His return to the game raised many questions about his exclusion from the India squad touring Australia. Sharma will be leading Mumbai Indians franchise in the final against Delhi Capitals on November 10.
Source: SBS Hindi
Wriddhiman Saha injured, Ishant Sharma in
Wriddhiman Saha has sustained hamstring injuries while playing in the IPL and therefore a call to send him to Australia based on his fitness will be taken later, the BCCI has said in a statement.
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been included in the Test squad.
“The senior Indian fast bowler has been undergoing his rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Once he fully recovers and gains sufficient match fitness, he will be added to India’s Test squad,” the BCCI said.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who was named in the T20I squad, too has been dropped from the Australia tour due to a shoulder injury. T Natarajan is replacing him.
Sanju Samson has been added to the ODI squad as a back-up wicketkeeper while Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who was come to Australia as a net bowler, has been dropped, as he needs to work with the BCCI medical team on his bowling workload management, the BCCI said.
India vs Australia 2020-21 schedule:
The Indian cricket team will arrive in Australia on November 12 and quarantine in Sydney for 14 days where they will be permitted to train.
The international summer cricket series will commence with the three-match Dettol ODI Series at the Sydney Cricket Ground scheduled on November 27 and November 29 and Manuka Oval, Canberra on December 2.
This will be followed by the three-match Dettol T20 International Series at Manuka Oval, Canberra on December 4 and the Sydney Cricket Ground on December 6 and December 8.
The battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin with a day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval on December 17, followed by the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26, and the remaining Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 7 and at the Gabba on January 15.
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The revised squads:
Team India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan.
Team India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper).
Team India Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj.
