India experienced a major injury scare in their 3rd T20I against the West Indies on Tuesday (August 2), with their skipper Rohit Sharma retiring pain due to back spasms.
The 34-year-old walked off gingerly in the 2nd innings after securing 11 off 5 balls. The skipper himself even downplayed the extent of the injury in the after-match interview. He said:
“My body is okay. We have a few days in the middle in between, so hopefully, I’ll be okay.”
India still has 2 matches to play in the 5-match series against the West Indies, which will be performed in Florida on Saturday and Sunday. severally Rohit could be a doubt for that match, meaning Hardik Pandya could be an argument to lead the side.
The Indian skipper has been a pivotal part of the side and there’s no doubt that his injury will be a significant blow for his side. In this article, we are clearing you’re why.
#1 India lose their best opener with Rohit Sharma’s injury
View this post on Instagram
There have been many musical chairs at the top of the order for India in current times. With KL Rahul’s long injury, India has attempted a number of opening combinations side by side with Rohit Sharma.
Rishabh Pant opened the batting in the primary T20I series against England, while Suryakumar Yadav has reserved the opening slot in the current series against the West Indies.
While there’s still no substantiation on what the opening union might be for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, it’s clear that the Indian skipper will be one of the 2 openers. He is the best run-getter in the world in this format and will be a colossal loss to any side.
#2 Captaincy concern
KL Rahul ✅
Rohit Sharma ✅
Rishabh Pant ✅
Hardik Pandya ✅
Shikhar Dhawan ✅Fifth different captain for Team India in white-ball cricket this year 😳#ShikharDhawan #India #WIvsIND #Cricket #ODIs pic.twitter.com/41EpaucAWN
— buddiprakash chechi (@bp_gurjar17) July 6, 2022
Ever since the captaincy saga with Virat Kohli dropped, it senses like India has performed some musical chairs with the armband. Rohit Sharma was assigned as the all-format captain but skipped on the South Africa tour, and point that KL Rahul took over the captaincy role.
Rishabh Pant took the bangle in the primary T20I series at home against South Africa after Rahul was major injured, while Hardik Pandya led a young side against the Ireland team.
Rohit returned to the fold in the ongoing series against England, but with him injured one more, India might be piercing for another skipper soon.
#3 A major problem for India ahead of the Asia Cup
View this post on Instagram
While the skipper plays down his injury in the after-match interviews, there will still be a little worry for India, considering his injury history over the years. With a match like the Asia Cup coming up, India will want their full-strength team available.
The Indian contingent hasn’t performed too many matches together in recent times and the Asia Cup would be the ideal opportunity to do so. It will also give them the stand to test themselves in competitive game situations in a match atmosphere, ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.