Who is captaining India in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli: The visitors are currently being led by a third captain on this tour.
During the fifth T20I of the ongoing India’s tour of New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, stand-in India captain Rohit Sharma hasn’t taken the field in the second innings after getting injured while batting in the first one.
Sharma, who came in to bat at No. 3 for the second time in his T20I career, scored his 21st half-century before succumbing to a calf injury. It was in the 17th over that Sharma eventually decided to walk-off after visible discomfort.
Having scored 60* (41) with the help of three fours and three sixes, Sharma top-scored for India after he won the toss and chose to bat.
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A clinical bowling effort from the hosts reduced India to 163/3 in their allotted quota of 20 overs. With bowling figures of 4-0-25-2, New Zealand pacer Scott Kuggeleijn was the pick of their bowlers. Apart from Kuggeleijn, Hamish Bennett also picked up a wicket.
Who is captaining India in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?
In what seems more of a precautionary measure, Sharma not taking the field in the second innings required India to field a third captain on the tour.
It is worth mentioning that the onus of leading the team fell on wicket-keeper batsman Lokesh Rahul. Given the numerous roles that Rahul has played for India in white-ball cricket of late, captaining the side was perhaps the only thing left from his usual skills.
KL Rahul is leading the Indian team today in the absence of Kohli and Rohit. It’s a great opportunity for Namma Huduga to showcase his captaincy skills !! Keep going, Rahul #NZvIND
— Karnataka Ranji Team║ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಣಜಿ ತಂಡ (@RanjiKarnataka) February 2, 2020
Having scored 224 runs in five T20Is at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 144.51 including two half-centuries, Rahul is currently the highest run-scorer in the series. This series has also seen the 27-year old player become the highest run-scorer for India in a bilateral T20I series.
