The Rohit Sharma Update- The confusions regarding Rohit Sharma’s injury and availability for the ODI series against Australia have only worsened with time. After the first ODI, in which the Indian team lost, fans hoped that Virat Kohli would spread some light on Rohit’s Situation. What he said made it clear that he himself was not pleased by BCCI’s decision making.
What Was The Comment Made By Virat Kohli?
Virat said, “Before we had the selection meeting in Dubai, we had got an email two days before that, which said that he is unavailable for selection as he has picked an injury during the IPL. It mentioned there were a two-week rest and rehab period. The pros and cons and the implications of the injury have been explained to him and he understood that. And he was unavailable for selection.
That was the information we got on mail before the selection meeting. After that he played in the IPL, so we all thought he would be on that flight to Australia, which he wasn’t. And we had no information whatsoever on the reason on why he is not travelling with us,” This clearly points out that the Indian skipper was himself clueless as to why was Rohit Sharma not playing in the ODI series. The callousness that BCCI showed in their communication with Mumbai Indians regarding Rohit Sharma’s injury for the selection is being highly criticized.
However, it now seems like BCCI is trying to rectify its mistakes. The BCCI has reportedly had a video conference with Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri in Australia following the Indian skipper’s comment on Rohit Sharma. Things are not so easy it looks like though. Even if Rohit Sharma is match fit, an even bigger problem is that of logistics. There isn’t any flight from India to Australia before 31st November due to Covid-19 protocols. The 3rd ODI between India and Australia is on 2nd December.
What Next For The Player And The Team?
So, if BCCI is able to do the paperwork on time, Rohit Sharma will just be on time to play the 3rd ODI (though that did not happen). Even then, the Covid-19 test and other tests would take some time after he lands in Australia. Rohit Sharma will have to serve out the mandatory 14-day quarantine unless Sourav Ganguly successfully manages to negotiate a reduced quarantine time for Rohit Sharma with Cricket Australia. Timing will be an important factor if Rohit has to play in the match.
If anything, the confusion regarding Rohit Sharma’s availability which originated from the BCCI’s mistake. It brings out the loopholes in the cricket governing body of India. Rohit Sharma, like every other Indian cricketer, is a centrally contracted player of the BCCI. This means their well-being is the direct responsibility of the BCCI. They need to be looked after and monitored by the board. In recent times, these responsibilities have been given totally to the IPL franchises. That is what gave rise to this confusion.
India’s batting line-up has not been up to the mark against Australia in the first two ODI matches. They did win the last game. Despite that, the absence of Rohit Sharma in the lineup can obviously be felt. It has left a huge gap in the team. The question is, will BCCI be able to amend its a mistake by bringing in Rohit on time. However, Rohit Sharma is still out for the Test series.
