No Rohit Sharma in the Perth Test? Gautam Gambhir reveals opening options

Rohit Sharma’s availability for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy remains uncertain, with Gautam Gambhir confirming no confirmation yet. India has options like KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Eshwaran.

As the Indian cricket team gears up for the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia, questions are looming over Rohit Sharma’s participation. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, in his press conference on Monday, stated that there was still no confirmation regarding the availability of the Indian captain for the first match. This has led to growing uncertainty surrounding his role in the first Test.

India is going to play the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth from 22nd November 2024.

Rohit’s absence and India’s opening options

Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, was initially expected to play the first Test of BGT. However, Gambhir’s comments have raised concerns among fans and experts alike. “At the moment, there is no confirmation on Rohit’s availability,” Gambhir said. “Not looking at WTC. Every series is important, irrespective of what’s happened in the past. Keen to go and perform well. Easwaran, KL as Rohit’s replacement. To play best XI closer to the 1st Test,” he added.

Rohit Sharma didn’t travel to Australia

The first group of the Indian team departed from Mumbai Airport on Sunday night for the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, reports suggest that captain Rohit Sharma will miss the first Test and stay in India for the birth of his second child, which is expected in the third week of November, according to media reports.

The Indian squad is heading to Australia in two groups. The first batch, which includes players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, has already departed. The remaining players will travel with head coach Gautam Gambhir after today’s press conference.

India’s squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar.