India and England will square off in the Edgbaston Test from Friday. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has suffered COVID-19, while Mayank Agarwal has been called up as his potential replacement.
India and England are all set to lock horns in the remaining fifth Test from last year's tour, as it takes place at Edgbaston in Birmingham from Friday. However, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's participation in the series is in doubt after having tested positive for COVID-19 while he is currently in isolation at the team hotel. As the team management ponders on the possible candidate to lead the side in the Test if Rohit misses out, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to fly in Mayank Agarwal as a potential replacement for Rohit and an injured KL Rahul.
As per reports, Mayank is scheduled to fly out to Birmingham on Monday morning and will catch up with the Indian squad by the evening. Also, as per the latest laws, he would not be required to undergo any quarantine and would be available to play immediately if needed. His last Test happened earlier this year at home against Sri Lanka, managing just 59 runs from a couple of games at an average of 19.66.
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Mayank later took part in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), leading Punjab Kings (PBKS), while he also featured for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 quarterfinal defeat to Uttar Pradesh. In IPL 2022, he managed just 196 from 14 at 16.33 and a strike rate of 122.5, while his team finished sixth on the table.
Although Mayank's recent inconsistent performance pops up as a surprise for his selection in the Test side, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri indicated that the captaincy's pressure might have caused the opener's place in the Test side. "I love the kid. I know how he plays his cricket, how determined he is. But, it's putting a guy who is very good at what he does in the wrong place," Shastri had said.
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"And, it can have problems. Serious problems. Serious repercussions. It could have cost him [Mayank] his place in the Indian side. Test side, everything, because the selectors will judge on current form, they will judge on what they see," concluded Shastri.