New Delhi | Jagran Sports Desk: Team India's top order batter Rohit Sharma was named Test captain on Saturday. Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as new Test captain as BCCI announced squad for 2-match Test series in March. Top India pace attacker Jasprit Bumrah was named vice-captain in Test cricket and T20I formats by the BCCI on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma was earlier appointed India's ODI captain in December 2021. The 34-year-old batter's appointment as Red-ball captain comes after Virat Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy following India's test series loss to South Africa 2-1.
Rahane, Pujara, Ishant Sharma dropped
Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been dropped from the Test series against Sri Lanka. Among bowlers, Ishant Sharma too has been notably dropped from the squad. “The selection committee deliberated a lot on Rahane and Pujara. We told them we will not consider them against Sri Lanka but doors are open for them. We told them to go and play Ranji Trophy,” chief selector Chetan Sharma told reporters during a virtual press conference.
The two-match home Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning on 1 March, is supposed to be Rohit's first assignment as the full-time Test captain. He has become a vital member of the Test side since the last couple of years other than being a mainstay at the top of the order as well.
Team India squad for T20I, Test series against Sri Lanka
T20I squad - Rohit Sharma (C),Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, R Jadeja, Y Chahal, R Bishnoi,Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah(VC),Avesh Khan
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 19, 2022
Test squad - Rohit Sharma (C), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath, R Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (VC).
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 19, 2022
Team India are set to play three T20Is in Lucknow and Dharamsala and two Tests in Mohali and Bengaluru respectively.
Rohit has amassed 3047 runs in 43 Test matches so far, at a pretty good average of 46.87. Almost 50 percent of these runs have come since he started opening the innings, that too at a much better average of 58.48. He already has eight centuries and 14 fifties to his name in Tests, and this tally is expected to increase further in the time ahead.
