India’s Skipper Rohit Sharma Likely to Be Rested During West Indies Tour

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, is expected to take a break during a portion of the upcoming tour of the West Indies, which is set to begin on July 12. The tour will feature a multi-format series, consisting of two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is, marking India’s first series in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle against the Caribbean side.

Rohit Sharma and his team faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Australia in the recently concluded ICC WTC 2021-23 final at The Oval in London. Their performance in the summit clash received significant criticism, particularly after suffering a humiliating 209-run loss.

The skipper has shouldered responsibilities across all formats and has been burdened with a hectic workload. In addition to his national team duties, Rohit also led the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2023, playing a majority of the matches for the franchise prior to the WTC final.

Recent reports suggest that Rohit Sharma may be rested for a few matches during the forthcoming tour of the West Indies. A source close to the developments revealed that the skipper could potentially be rested for either the Tests or the eight-match white-ball series.

“Rohit (Sharma) appeared fatigued during the IPL and the World Test Championship final in England. The selectors want him to take a break during a portion of the West Indies tour. He’s likely to miss either the Tests or the eight-match white-ball series (three ODIs and five T20Is) that follows. The selectors will discuss this with Rohit before making a decision,” the source shared with the TOI.

It’s worth noting that Rohit Sharma seemed to be out of form with the bat, scoring just 15 and 43 in the match against Australia. His performance in the IPL was also lackluster, as he amassed only 332 runs in 16 appearances, with an average of 20.75.

The squads for the multi-format series against the West Indies are yet to be finalized by the selectors. However, the selection committee is expected to announce the official lineup that will travel to the West Indies for the series in the coming weeks.