After animated chat with coach Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma’s name erased from India’s official 16-member list moments
Rohit Sharma’s name mysteriously disappeared from India’s official team sheet shared by the BCCI just moments after the toss for the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the SCG. Stand-in captain JaspritBumrah confirmed that Rohit opted to “rest” for the crucial match, but no official announcement was made by the BCCI regarding his absence.
The team sheet includeincludeed names of all fit players except Rohit, who has struggled throughout the series, scoring only 31 runs in five innings. His decision to step back marks a significant moment as he becomes the first Indian captain to voluntarily drop himself from a Test match.
Despite Rohit’s absence, Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna returned to the playing XI. Gill will bat at number three, while Krishna replaces the injured Akash Deep. Interestingly, Rohit was seen engaged in an animated discussion with coach GautamGambhir and Bumrah prior to play, raising questions about his decision.
Gambhir had previously been non-committal about Rohit’s inclusion but emphasized the need to assess pitch conditions before finalizing the team. With India trailing 2-1 in the series, this match is pivotal for their hopes of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.