Virender Sehwag questions Rohit Sharma's omission from India squad for Australia tour
Rohit Sharma is with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, in the United Arab Emirates. He has reportedly suffered a hamstring strain and has not played in the last three matches. Kieron Pollard is leading the side on his absence, as they have virtually sealed their playoffs berth.
FollowThe Indian cricketing fraternity is still abuzz over Rohit Sharma's shocking exclusion from the Indian squad, for the upcoming tour of Australia. As fans demand answers, experts and legends, too, want to know what the is actual reason behind his snub.
After the selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the tour on Monday, Rohit happened to be a notable omission. Clarifying on the same, the BCCI said in a statement, "The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor the progress of Rohit Sharma."
Meanwhile, the extent of his injury seems to be baffling and confusing. Although Rohit has not featured in the past three games for Mumbai Indians (MI), in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, he has been seen training at nets with the team.
Albeit Rohit's team has virtually sealed the playoffs berth, it is not sure if he would participate in the tournament any further. He has reportedly been asked by the BCCI to rest it out, as pushing to play in the IPL could jeopardise his chances of making it to Australia.
Speaking on the same, former Indian opener, Virender Sehwag feels that there is no clarity on Rohit's injury. Furthermore, he thinks that MI should explain the extent of his damage, while Rohit, too, can speak on it through his social media platform.
"During my playing days, when Srikkanth was the chairman of selectors, if a player was injured on the day of selection, then he was not picked. But, this is a long tour, and Rohit Sharma is an important player, so if he has not been picked keeping in mind his injury status today, then I guess it is a bit harsh on him," Sehwag was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
"Even I have no update on Rohit Sharma's injury status. The media should ask this question. Earlier, it was told that he is unwell. If he is unwell, then what is he doing inside the stadium. He was seen during both matches. If he is unwell, then he should be on bed rest, to recover as soon as possible. So, clearly, he is not unwell," added Sehwag.
"In that case, the franchise should give a statement about the nature of his injury. A video was shared by Mumbai Indians of him practising, which clearly shows he is trying to get back to fitness, but there needs to be a statement. These days you don't even need a statement, he has his social media where he can just put a line about his condition," Sehwag concluded.
Rohit is usually Virat Kohli's deputy for India. However, owing to his unavailability during the Australia tour, KL Rahul would be taking up the role.
