IND vs AUS | Ishant Sharma ruled out of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Australia Tests
|The BCCI have confirmed that pacer Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the forthcoming Test series versus Australia, despite fully recovering from the side strain he sustained during the IPL. The board also clarified that Rohit Sharma had gone back to India to attend to his ailing father.
In what comes as a huge blow to India's chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, speedster Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the forthcoming Test series. Sharma, who suffered a side strain during IPL 2020, flew back home and was undergoing rehab at the NCA in Bengaluru to get fit in time for the first Test, starting December 17, but the BCCI, in a press release, have confirmed that the speedster will take no part in the four Test series against Australia.
"Ishant has recovered completely from his side strain injury sustained during IPL 2020 in the U.A.E. While he’s building up his workload in order to achieve Test match fitness, Mr Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," the board confirmed in an official release.
Meanwhile, the BCCI also confirmed that Rohit Sharma had travelled back to India to attend to his ailing father, who now is said to be doing fine. Controversy erupted after Rohit, instead of flying to Australia, flew back to India to undergo rehab at the NCA, due to which Indian skipper Virat Kohli, earlier today, was critical of the board's handling of the issue, but the BCCI clarified that the 33-year-old had flown back to Mumbai to visit his father. The BCCI further revealed that Rohit's fitness will be assessed on December 11, after which a decision on his participation in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be taken.
"He is presently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA. Mr Rohit Sharma’s next assessment will be conducted on December 11th following which the BCCI will have clarity on his participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Mr Rohit Sharma had to come back to Mumbai after the IPL to attend to his ailing father. His father is now recuperating well and that has allowed him to travel to the NCA and start his rehabilitation," a statement from the BCCI read.
The BCCI also confirmed that left-arm seamer T Natarajan has been added to the ODI squad as a backup for Navdeep Saini, who is said to have complained of back spasms.Â
