Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was injured in the second One-Day International (ODI) against Bangladesh, and he will miss the third ODI of the series. According to rumours, the 35-year-old may even skip the Test, which is set to start on December 14 at Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Rahul Dravid, the team’s head coach, was unable to provide an update on the availability of Sharma but did reveal that the Mumbai-born cricketer will be returning to India to consult with medical professionals. Currently, Abhimanyu Easwaran will replace Sharma, and KL Rahul, the designated vice-captain, may captain the team.
After having a fantastic season at the plate for Bengal and India A, Easwaran has been promoted. In the first unofficial Test against Bangladesh A, the opener produced a magnificent tonne, and in the second Test, he improved with 157 from 248 deliveries. Despite this, the 27-year-old may not have the opportunity to represent India in the longest format of the game given the availability of Shubman Gill. Recently, injuries have grown to be a major problem for the Indian squad. India’s top pace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, has already been ruled out of the series, and Mohammed Shami recently sustained a shoulder injury that will keep him out for a while.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has also not fully recovered, putting India somewhat on the back foot as the Test series approaches. According to recent sources, the 29-year-old Saurabh Kumar will likely take Jadeja’s spot in the red-ball series. Kumar, who played for India A, caused mayhem by taking nine wickets during the game. Mohammed Shami will be replaced by one of Mukesh Kumar or Umran Malik in the squad. Umran, who had an outstanding season in the Indian Premier League, made his T20I and ODI debuts in 2022, but he has not yet received his first call-up for the game’s longest format. In the meantime, Mukesh Kumar has dominated the domestic Indian circuit with the red ball. The Bihar-born pacer achieved success even with India.