Rohit Sharma to take break from white-ball cricket; Bumrah named deputy for Tests
Star Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma has received approval from the BCCI for his request to take a break from white-ball cricket during India’s tour of South Africa, despite being offered the captaincy for the T20 matches. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah will serve as deputy captain for the two Test matches that begin on December 26.
Similarly, Virat Kohli’s request for a limited-overs break has also been accepted, allowing Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul to lead the national team in T20Is and ODIs, respectively.
Regarding a possible role for Hardik Pandya as T20 captain in next year’s World Cup, it’s been suggested that his status is no longer certain, should Rohit Sharma decide to join the T20 team.
After 2022’s T20 World Cup, Sharma had been hesitant to focus on the shortest format and instead preferred 50-over cricket, reflecting his shift in priorities.
Notably, several players selected for ODIs will not feature in Tests or T20Is, with only three players appearing in all three squads — Shreyas Iyer, Mukesh Kumar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
India’s national selection committee has selected KL Rahul as the Test team’s wicketkeeper, creating two new openings in the middle-order. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami has a chance to return to fitness before the Test series begins in December.
In a shakeup to the Test team, Ajinkya Rahane, Chesteshwar Pujara, and Umesh Yadav have likely reached the end of their time in Test cricket, with fresher talents such as Rahul and Iyer filling the void.
The ODI team has also been revamped, with an eye on the 2025 Champions Trophy. The team, led Rahul, will feature newcomers such as Rajat Patidar, B Sai Sudharshan, and Rinku Singh, as well as a return for Yuzvendra Chahal. Test, T20 and ODI squads have been announced.
These squad changes signal a changing of the guard in Indian cricket, with fresh talent coming to the fore in all formats of the game.