Cricket / Rohit Sharma ruled out of Test series against South Africa due to injury

Cricket Desk: Indian opener Rohit Sharma will not participate in the three-Test series against South Africa, starting from December 26, owing to an injury he picked during a practice session in Mumbai in the lead-up. The 18-strong squad had touched down in Mumbai on December 12, while the team is supposed to fly to South Africa on December 16.

Rohit’s injury means India will not have their highest run-scorer in the format this year (906 in 21 innings at 47.68) for the crucial affair at a venue where no Indian team has registered a series victory in their Test history. It is understood that the BCCI will name a stand-in vice-captain, as Rohit had only recently taken over the role from Ajinkya Rahane.

Gujarat batter Priyank Panchal, it is learnt, is set to replace Rohit at the top alongside KL Rahul, who had missed the home Tests against New Zealand due to injury himself. Rohit, too, was not a part of the series after being rested following a hectic schedule before the series, including a 3-0 victory in the T20I series, his first in the capacity of India’s full-time skipper.

As for the 31-year-old Panchal, Rohit’s injury opens the door to make his case in a crowded Indian top-order. Panchal, who has over 7000 runs at 45.52 with 24 centuries and 25 half-centuries to his name in 100 First-Class encounters, was a part of the A squad that played three unofficial Tests in Bloemfontein. He missed his century by four runs in the 1st Test, while he returned with scores of 24 and 0 in the second Test before sitting out of the third.

It is not clear, meanwhile, whether Rohit will miss out on the subsequent three-match ODI series too, which was earmarked to be his first 50-over assignment after being named as the captain. The extent of the injury is not clear yet but is understandably grievous enough for him to not recover in time to be a part of the series.

The first Test will be played from December 26-30 in Centurion, followed by the second in Johannesburg from January 3-7 and the third and final one in Cape Town from January 11-15. The subsequent ODI series, which will not be a part of the ICC ODI World Cup Super League, will commence on January 19 in Paarl, which will also host the second ODI on January 21 before the final one in Cape Town on January 23.