IND vs AUS: No Hitman in BGT!! Reports speculate that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma might miss a few matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy; search over deputy continues
IND vs AUS: Veteran Indian batter and skipper of the Indian test side, Rohit Sharma, might miss a few of the opening matches in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy owing to personal reasons. Reports suggest that Sharma has communicated his situation to the BCCI, though nothing has been made official from their end.
The Indian team is scheduled to feature in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will be held from the 22nd of November, with the first test at Perth. Rohit is currently under a busy red-ball schedule, as he has currently featured in a two-match test series against Bangladesh and will also be seen gearing up to lead the Indian side against the Kiwis this October.
If Rohit can resolve his issue before the BGT, then he might feature in all of the matches of the series, while if not, then Abhimanyu Easwaran, who is supposed to lead the India A team, might be brought in to replace the Indian opener. However, the team has the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who have extensive experience in taking over the role of an opener in the absence of their skipper.
Rohit Sharma?s recent form in red-ball cricket
After, Sharma recently helped India begin their quest for the third consecutive WTC final in 2025 with a comfortable win over Bangladesh with a 2-0 victory. Though this time around his form saw a major dip, as he averaged 10.50, though he was India?s best-ranked ICC test batter before the start of the series.
India is at the top of the points table of the WTC, as his next assignment begins on the 16th of October with a three-match test series against New Zealand. With this home series, Sharma would be in the quest to restore his stunning form in red-ball cricket to mark his commanding presence in the BGT before he sets foot on Australian soil to secure a hat-trick of wins on Australian soil.
Rohit Sharma?s role in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
The Indian skipper would be a very vital player for the Men in Blue in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Rohit?s ability on the back foot is what makes him a very important asset to the Indian team on Australian soil.
Rohit is one of the finest players of a short ball, as he can be identified as the finest player of the pull shot, following the trademark of the great Aussie batter and skipper Ricky Ponting. Also, his aggressive intent is what hands his team a perfect start at the top of the order.
The record for Rohit Sharma in Australia does not look great by his standards, as he has 408 runs scored over 7 Tests at an average of 31.38 without a century. However, when the Indian team in the WTC is considered, Rohit has been their highest scorer, with the most hundreds scored as well.
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Who can be Rohit?s deputy for the role of Indian skipper?
Since there was no official player in the role of vice-captain of the Test team, India currently has no deputy player in the role in the longer of the game against Bangladesh.
However, many such players have been considered for the role, while they have the likes of Shubman Gill, India?s deputy across all other white-ball formats. While experienced hats like Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant are also placed into the side, who can be considered for such a role?
"I wouldn't look at them as youngsters anymore. Yes, they are youngsters in terms of age and the amount of cricket they have played. But, I think overall, mentally and in their development as a cricketer, I think they have the leadership qualities that are required. You don't need to have a vice-captain that should be designated," claimed Abhishek Nayar on assigning the role of vice-captain to some player in the Indian team.
