The return of ODI cricket has brought some fresh headaches for the Gautam Gambhir-led team management. Though the veteran duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain firmly in the team’s plans for the 50-over format, the management reportedly wants to test bench strength by rotating the veterans from time to time. However, with players like Kohli and Rohit now only active in one-day cricket, the situation becomes a lot more complex, as they also need to be given enough playing time to prepare for next year’s ODI World Cup.
The three-match series against England is set to revive conversations around rotation in the Indian camp. According to a report in the Times of India, the team management and selectors have been attempting to convince senior players of the benefits of a rotation policy for some time.
It has been reported that the management had considered resting Rohit for the third ODI against Afghanistan last month to accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order. Ultimately, regular captain Shubman Gill decided to bat at number three, allowing Rohit to open the batting alongside Jaiswal. Remarkably, Jaiswal has missed out on selection for the current tour, despite scoring two centuries in his last three ODIs.
With Jaiswal absent, there is bound to be intense pressure on Rohit if he is given a full run in this series. The management would prefer him to find his form in the opening stages of the series rather than scoring heavily only in the final match, a pattern observed over the last few series. Prior to the ODI series against Afghanistan, the Indian team management had also hinted at a desire to rotate between Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul during Virat Kohli’s absence.
Convincing veteran players who feature exclusively in ODI cricket to sit out certain matches will prove a significant challenge for the management. Nevertheless, the TOI report claimed that Jaiswal remains firmly in the plans for the upcoming ODI World Cup, and the management is keen to ensure a backup wicketkeeper is fully prepared to support Rahul.
“The team management doesn’t want a situation where a senior player breaks down and there is no one ready with enough game time. The issue is that Rohit, Kohli, and Rahul don’t play much international white-ball cricket besides ODIs. Rohit may get a full run in England. If his form suffers here, he may not get that run in the following series,” the report quoted a source as saying.
Shubman Gill On India’s XI
Ahead of the ODI series opener, India skipper Shubman Gill was asked about his perception of the team’s playing XI. Gill stated that he does not get the impression of an unsettled unit.
“You know, in such a series, it doesn’t feel like an unsettled XI. You have to give a chance to the new players. You have to give them experience; as we were talking about experience, the more pressure situations they are in and the more they do well, the better it will be for us before the World Cup,” Gill said on Monday.
“You play 11 matches in the World Cup and, usually, the bilateral series we play are five or three matches-usually three. So, playing three matches and playing 11 matches makes a big difference,” he added.
The ODI series against England is expected to clear some doubts and chart out the World Cup 2027 blueprint for the Indian team.