MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli rested for Nidahas Trophy; Rohit Sharma to lead India
The Indian senior selection committee has decided to rest MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for the upcoming tri-nation T20I tournament in Sri Lanka, BCCI announced today. In the absence of two talismanic players of the team, Rohit Sharma will lead the side with Shikhar Dhawan acting as his deputy.
As reported by SportsCafe earlier, the senior selection committee has decided to send a second string team to Sri Lanka to participate in the Nidahas Trophy which is being organised to commemorate Sri Lanka’s 70 years of independence. However, despite the absence of many big names in the team, the team packs a lot of promise with rising Indian youngsters in the team.
While Deepak Hooda, who recently led Baroda to the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final, has been recalled to the squad, Washington Sundar will make a comeback to the side that also has the likes of Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, and Mohammad Siraj.Â
While announcing the team, the Chairman of All-India Senior Selection Committee, MSK Prasad, said in a BCCI press release, "We've kept in mind the workload and upcoming schedule while finalizing the team for Nidahas Trophy. The high-performance team has suggested that adequate rest should be given to our fast bowlers to help improve athletic performance, maximize rest and prevent injury."
"Mr MS Dhoni was not available for selection as he had requested for rest," he added.
Suresh Raina’s good show in the just-concluded T20I series helped him find a place in the side and he is expected to essay the senior statesman role given the side lacks one. While Kuldeep Yadav is not part of the team for his finger injury, Axar Patel will be assisting Yuzvendra Chahal in the spin department.
Despite undergoing a terrible run of form lately in domestic cricket, Rishabh Pant has been selected ahead of Sanju Samson to replace MS Dhoni in the team.Â
Squad : Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj, Rishabh Pant (wk)
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