By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced that Rohit Sharma will take over from Virat Kohli as the captain of India’s Test team as well. Rohit was appointed as a full-time T20I and ODI skipper.
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 for the last couple of years and has become a mainstay at the top of the order as well.
The 34-year-old has been a regular since he opened the batting for the Test side in October 2019.
“Rohit is the number one cricketer of our country,” said chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma.
Kohli quit as India’s Test captain in January having resigned from the T20 leadership last year and then been sacked as ODI skipper.
Rohit has scored 3,047 runs including eight centuries in 43 Tests since making his debut in 2013.
The BCCI also announced India’s squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been excluded from the Test side as India announced their squads for the Test and T20I series against Sri Lanka.
The two veterans have struggled in the longest format over the past couple of years leading to their exclusion from the longest format. Ravichandran Ashwin has been included in the side but his availability for the series will be subject to fitness.
Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill also return to the squad after being passed fit while there is also a call-up for left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar. KL Rahul will also be unavailable due to concerns surrounding his fitness.
India’s Test squad for SL series: Rohit Sharma (C), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat, Ashwin (fitness), Ravi Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep, Bumrah (VC), Shami, Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Sourabh Kumar.