India captain Virat Kohli is set to miss the last three Tests of their upcoming tour of Australia, while Rohit Sharma has been deemed fit to be part of the Test side as the BCCI announced sweeping changes to the squad on Monday.
Kohli has been granted paternity leave and will return to India after featuring in the opening day-night Test in Adelaide, after a limited-overs series comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs. Rohit, who sustained a hamstring injury during IPL 2020 and was consistently monitored by the BCCI medical staff, will join the India Test squad in Australia, but has been left out of the white-ball sides.
In other changes, Sanju Samson has been added to the ODI squad as an additional wicketkeeper to KL Rahul, having already been part of the T20I side.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who had earned his maiden call-up, has now been ruled out of the T20I series owing to a shoulder injury that reports suggest he aggravated during IPL 2020. T Natarajan, the India seam bowler, has been named as his replacement.
Ishant Sharma, who was ruled out of IPL 2020 midway through after “experiencing an acute episode of left rib cage pain” will be added to the Test squad once he regains his fitness. A call on the availability of Wriddhiman Saha, the wicketkeeper-batsman who sustained a hamstring injury during SRH’s IPL 2020 campaign last week, will be taken later.
Kamlesh Nagarkoti, the young Indian quick bowler, who was set to travel as an additional, will no longer be part of the Indian contingent to Australia as the medical team is working on his workload.
