India Captain Rohit Sharma Poised to Miss First Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Mumbai, November 28, 2024: Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is likely to miss the first Test of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, according to sources close to the developments.

The 37-year-old all-star cricketer will reportedly join his squad ahead of the second Test at Adelaide Oval, leaving Jasprit Bumrah to lead India in the Perth Test. Sharma had stayed back home in Mumbai for the birth of his second child and has requested additional time with his family from the team management.

The absence of Rohit has left the Indian camp dealing with an opening conundrum, with several options available to replace Shubman Gill, who is recovering from a fractured thumb that makes him unlikely to feature in the series opener. KL Rahul's name has been doing the rounds to bat at number 3, while Abhimanyu Easwaran, the back-up opener, has not been in the best of forms.

Cricket insiders are speculating on the possibility of Virat Kohli slotting into the number three position and opening with Rahul, which could lead to Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan being accommodated in the middle order or playing an all-rounder.

India's first warm-up match against Prime Ministers XI will take place on November 30 at Manuka Oval, Canberra, ahead of the pink-ball Test starting December 6.