Why Is Rohit Sharma Not Playing Today’s 2nd IND vs WI ODI In Barbados?

India captain Rohit Sharma not playing the second ODI against West Indies today has come as an utter astonishment for millions of fans back home. The development was first hinted when vice-captain Hardik Pandya participated in the warm-ups wearing his full ODI kit and not just the training kit.

The same was confirmed when Pandya walked out for the toss alongside West Indies captain Shai Hope. Unlike the first ODI in Bridgetown, India will be batting first after Hope won the toss and opted to bowl first.

“We are going to bowl first. We saw what happened in the last game. The conditions will assist the bowlers. We got two [more] games to play [in the series]. So, we got to win this one to stay alive,” Hope told the host broadcaster at the toss.

Why Is Rohit Sharma Not Playing Today vs West Indies?

Leading for the second time in this format, Pandya announced a couple of changes to a Playing XI which registered a comprehensive 5-wicket triumph in the first ODI at the Kensington Oval.

Readers must note that apart from Sharma, his predecessor in Virat Kohli is also not playing this match. It is worth of a mention that neither of the two senior players are injured. It’s just that they have been rested to hand opportunities to batter Sanju Samson and all-rounder Axar Patel.

“Rohit [Sharma] and Virat [Kohli] have been playing constant cricket. Few questions need to be answered for us. So, they are resting in this game. They can be fresh for the third ODI,” Pandya said at the toss.

Samson, whose absence in the first ODI was questioned by his fans across social media platforms, is playing an ODI after more than eight months. Patel, meanwhile, had played in both the home Test and ODI series against Australia in March.

Hardik Pandya Captaincy Record

Pandya, who first led India in an ODI earlier this year, had started with a 5-wicket win. As far as the shortest format is concerned, he has led India to eight victories and a couple of losses across 11 T20Is.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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