India will be without captain Rohit Sharma for the first Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins in Perth on Friday, November 22. Rohit is on paternity leave, spending time with his family following the birth of his second child with wife Ritika Sajdeh on November 15.
The captain did not travel with the team to Perth and, according to media reports, is expected to join the squad on Sunday, November 24, the third day of the first Test. Rohit will be available for the second match of the series in Adelaide, starting December 6. Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the team in his absence.
“It is an honour. I have my own style. Virat was different, Rohit was different. and I have my own way. It is a privilege. I don’t take it as a position. I love taking responsibility. And I spoke with Rohit earlier. But I got a little bit of clarity on leading the side after coming in here,” Bumrah said in the press conference on the eve of the series.
Rohit may also be available for India’s two-day warm-up match against a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, starting November 30.
India’s Playing XI in the Absence of Rohit Sharma
After days of speculation, India confirmed KL Rahul as the opener for the first Test in Rohit’s absence. Rahul, who has predominantly batted in the middle order for India in recent months, has accumulated 187 runs at an average of 20.77 in Australia.
He was chosen over Abhimanyu Easwaran, a consistent run-scorer in domestic cricket, who had posted four low scores—0, 7, 17, and 12—in two India A matches leading up to the Tests.
India’s Playing XI: Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Washington Sundar, and Mohammed Siraj.
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