Why Hardik Pandya leading the team; and not Rohit?
Hardik Pandya led Team India to victory in the second ODI against the West Indies in Barbados.
Pandya had already led the Indian team during the opening ODI of the series against Australia in March earlier this year; however, Rohit’s absence surely raised a few eyebrows this time, with India returning to the format for the first time since the March ODIs.
Hardik claimed that Rohit and India’s Virat Kohli have been granted “rest” after playing nonstop cricket for the past few months.
Here’s what Hardik Pandya says:
“It’s just that there are a few questions that need to be answered,” Hardik said, indicating that the team management is looking to put other players through their paces ahead of important competitions like the Asia Cup and World Cup.
“Ro (Rohit Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) have been playing all the time.” We believed they should relax for this game to be fresh for the third ODI. So, that’s it; they’re resting and making sure the other guys have their chance,” Hardik added.
Rohit and Kohli are crucial parts of the team:
Rohit and Kohli have been on the road since the beginning of the year, playing ODIs against Sri Lanka and New Zealand before embarking on a four-Test series and ODIs against Australia.
Following the international season, the pair switched to franchise colours in the 2023 Indian Premier League, appearing in all their respective franchise games.
In June, Rohit captained the Indian team, with Kohli appearing in the World Test Championship final. Team India did, however, have a month off before returning for the West Indies tour, where they played two Tests before the ODI series.
Their replacements in the match:
Hardik also announced that Sanju Samson, a wicketkeeper-batsman and all-rounder Axar Patel, will replace Rohit and Kohli in the second match in Barbados.
India leads the three-match series 1-0, winning by a decisive five-wicket margin earlier this week at the same venue.
India registered the win in Test series 1-0, with the second match finishing in a tie when the last day’s play at Port of Spain was rained out.
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