Ind vs Aus: Virat Kohli to skip 1st test, Rohit to skip ODIs and T20Is

New Delhi: India skipper Virat Kohli will be missing three Test matches in the upcoming series against Australia, the BCCI confirmed on Monday.

Kohli has been granted paternity leave and as a result, he will be featuring in just the opening Test of the four-match series. The first Test is slated to begin on December 17 at Adelaide and it will be a day-night contest.

“At the selection committee meeting held on October 26th, 2020, Mr Virat Kohli had informed the BCCI about his plans to return to India after the first Test in Adelaide. The BCCI has granted paternity leave to the Indian captain. He will return after the first Test against Australia in Adelaide,” the BCCI said in an official statement.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1325755421139718144

BCCI has also confirmed that Rohit Sharma will be rested for the white-ball leg of the Australia tour and he will be a part of the Test squad. Earlier on Monday, ANI had reported that Rohit will be flying to Australia for the Test series.

“The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma’s fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same. In consultation with Mr Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” said the BCCI.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy has also been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against Australia and pacer T Natarajan has been named as his replacement.

Ishant Sharma is undergoing his rehab at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Once he fully recovers & gains sufficient match fitness, he’ll be added to Test squad. Varun Chakravarthy ruled out of T20I series owing to a shoulder injury. T Natarajan named as a replacement: BCCI

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2020

Natarajan was seen in remarkable form for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and the left-arm pacer has gained a reputation as a death-overs specialist. For the ODI series against Australia, Sanju Samson has been included as a back-up wicket-keeper to KL Rahul.

SunRisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner on Sunday had confirmed that wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha has a hamstring tear. So taking note of the situation, BCCI said that a final call for Saha’s participation will be taken later.

“The senior Indian wicket-keeper Sanha sustained injuries to both his hamstrings during his side’s IPL game on 3rd November. A call on his availability will be taken later,” said the BCCI in its release.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti who was set to accompany the Indian squad for the tour of Australia will not be able to travel to Australia as he is still working with the medical team on his bowling workload management, clarified the BCCI.

Ishant Sharma will be added to the Indian Test squad once he clears his fitness Test

The revised squads are as below:

Team India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan.

Team India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper).

Team India Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj. (ANI)