Indian captain Rohit Sharma has explained the rationale behind his and Virat Kohli’s absence from the white-ball series against the West Indies, describing it as a customary workload management strategy. In the context of the series, Rohit participated in the initial One-Day International (ODI) match but was then absent from the subsequent two ODIs and the ensuing T20I series versus the Windies.
During Rohit’s absence, Hardik Pandya took over the leadership reins for the following two ODIs, which India won, securing a 2-1 victory in the series. Currently, Pandya is leading the team in the five-match T20I series as well. Notably, both Rohit and Kohli will also be missing the three-match T20I series against Ireland, with Pandya once again assuming the captaincy role.
Rohit has now elaborated on their absence, highlighting that their decision aligns with the strategy they employed before the T20 World Cup in 2022. He emphasized their intention to provide opportunities to young players in T20Is, given that neither he nor Kohli had participated in T20I matches since the previous year’s T20 World Cup held in Australia.
Speaking to the media, Rohit stated, “Last year also we did the same thing — the T20 World Cup was there, so we didn’t play one-day cricket. Now also we are doing the same, the ODI World Cup is there, so we are not playing T20s.”
Rohit also addressed the media’s disproportionate focus on his absence, pointing out that even spinner Ravindra Jadeja was not partaking in the T20I series against the West Indies. He remarked, “You can’t play everything and be ready for the World Cup. We decided this two years ago. (Ravindra) Jadeja is also not playing T20, you did not ask about him?”
Emphasizing the significance of this year being a World Cup year, Rohit underscored the team’s commitment to maintaining players’ freshness, particularly in light of previous injuries within the squad. He expressed, “It is a World Cup year; we want to keep everyone fresh; already we had so many injuries in the team that I am scared of injuries now.”
Rohit revealed that discussions had taken place between the Indian team management and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding player welfare and rest. He clarified, “We had a discussion with the BCCI also that we need to look after the players well. Whenever we have an opportunity to rest players, we will rest players and rotate them. We don’t want anyone to miss the key events.”
Concluding his remarks, Rohit emphasized the team’s determination to avoid the scenario of key players missing important events, referencing instances from the past two years. He affirmed, “A couple of our key players missed some big events in the last two years and we don’t want that.”
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