Why Rohit Sharma is not playing: Is Rohit Sharma ruled out from 5th Test vs England at Edgbaston?

Why Rohit Sharma is not playing: The Indian captain has been ruled out of yet another overseas Test match.

India captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out the imminent fifth Test match against England. Scheduled to be played from tomorrow in Birmingham, the match is a quintessential series-decider with the visitors leading by 2-1 ahead of the fifth and last rescheduled Test.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was Sharma’s deputy in India’s last Test series against Sri Lanka at home earlier this year, has been named as their captain for this match. Wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, who had led India for the first time in the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, will be Bumrah’s deputy at Edgbaston.

Already on the expected lines, the development was made public after BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) posted a tweet on the eve of the match.

Why Rohit Sharma is not playing 5th Test at Edgbaston?

Sharma, 35, would’ve led India for the first time in an overseas Test match had it not been for him testing positive for COVID-19. Leading India in a practice match against Leicestershire in Leicester, Sharma’s absence on Day 3 was initially assumed to be a tactical move than any kind of injury.

However, it was later known that Sharma has contacted the virus. Been confined to his hotel room, Sharma was always in a race against time to recover. As recent as last evening, Sharma needed to return a couple of negative COVID-19 tests to be able to play this match.

In a similar race against time after testing returning a COVID-19 positive test during the third England vs New Zealand Test in Leeds earlier this week, England wicket-keeper batter Ben Foakes will also be missing a one-off Test against India.