Why Rohit and Virat not playing today: Why Rohit Sharma not playing T20 between India and New Zealand in Ranchi?

During the first T20I of New Zealand’s tour of India 2023 in Ranchi, India captain Hardik Pandya has won the toss and chose to bowl in order to negate the dew factor which is highly likely to affect the match especially in the second innings.

“We will have a bowl first. Looks like a good track. I can see dew right now and hence, we want to bowl first. Just go out there and play the best cricket we know. It is a young team,” Pandya told Star Sports at the toss.

Much like Pandya, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner also wanted to bowl first for the same reason admitting how defending an innings total would be “challenging” at the JSCA International Stadium Complex tonight.

“Would be a challenge for some of the new guys. Looks pretty good. The dew is setting in. Would have been good to bowl first. Putting runs on the board and then defending would be challenging,” Santner told Star Sports at the toss.

Why is Rohit Sharma not playing today vs New Zealand?

Playing a T20I after almost three weeks, India have made a couple of changes from that match against Sri Lanka in Rajkot. All-rounder Washington Sundar and spinner Kuldeep Yadav are playing this match in place of all-rounder Axar Patel and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

While Patel wasn’t part of both the squads for New Zealand series due to his marriage, Chahal has been left out to accommodate an in-form Yadav. As far as regular captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli are concerned, they haven’t been part of any T20I squad since ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

The development has seen them alluring various media reports hinting at the selectors moving on from them with respect to the shortest format. Having said that, head coach Rahul Dravid had laid emphasis on resting key players from one format in an ICC Cricket World Cup year earlier this month.

New Zealand, meanwhile, are playing a T20I after more than two months. Having played their last T20I also against India, the visitors have made three changes to that XI. All-rounder Michael Bracewell and fast bowlers Jacob Duffy and Blair Tickner are playing on Friday as replacements for all-rounder James Neesham and fast bowlers Tim Southee and Adam Milne.