The day BCCI announced the team or India’s tour of Australia 2020-21 and Rohit Sharma not in the squad list of all the three formats. The debate regarding Rohit’s fitness has grown significantly, especially after the photos of Rohit Sharma’s training session surfaces online.
Many cricket experts criticize the decision of BCCI of excluding the Rohit Sharma from the Australia tour. At the same time, some of them want clarifications from BCCI regarding Rohit Sharma’s exclusion.
However, BCCI in a statement said that Rohit might get picked for the Test series if he’s fit during the time. Rohit was also asked to join National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to resolve his fitness issues.
The event turned into a controversy when Virat Kohli specified that “there is no proper communication in Rohit’s case”.
“After that (the selection meeting) he played in the IPL and we all thought he would be on that flight to Australia and we had no information on why he is not travelling with us. There has been no information, there has been lack of clarity,” Virat Kohli had said ahead of the ODI series opener against Australia in Sydney.
“We have been playing the waiting game,” he added.
Now, former India veteran and Director of Cricket Operations of Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL Zaheer Khan has responded to Virat Kohli’s statements.
Zaheer Khan supported Rohit Sharma and claim that he was 100% fit to play cricket, mentioning Rohit’s knock of 70 runs in IPL 2020 final against Delhi Capitals (DC).
“I think there are different variables, and the management also can look at things differently. Like if you want a certain player to play the match at what level of fitness you want him to be and what kind of role is playing. Every case is a different case, and you have to see how determined one is to play, and that’s something Rohit showed as well. I think he was a bit unavailable not maybe at the hundred per cent fitness, but he was still able to do the job and got those 70 crucial runs in that final (IPL 2020). So I think there are certain things to be looked upon for sure,” said Zaheer on Cricbuzz Live show.
“Well, I think communication is something which has been the talking point, but what I’d like to share with the viewers is the complexities of the scenario and the situation. Also, you know when you look at different formats of the game, the requirement around the fitness is different as well. Like you’re talking about T20 game which goes on for about three and a half hours, and One Dayers goes on for about seven hours. Similarly, Test matches give 30 to 40 hours of cricket,” added Zaheer.
“So, every format requires different fitness demands. And I think in Rohit’s case the communication around that could have been simple or could have been the complex what we’ve seen so far,” remarked Zaheer.
BCCI updates regarding Rohit Sharma’s fitness and his availability for upcoming Border Gavaskar trophy.
“He is presently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA. Mr Rohit Sharma’s next assessment will be conducted on December 11th following which the BCCI will have clarity on his participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia,” BCCI said in a statement.
