Young Rajat Patidar, who hasn’t played for his country yet, was thus called up to take the normal no. A five-match Test series between India and England will begin on January 25 in Hyderabad at the recently renovated Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Virat Kohli, who will miss the first two games of the series, dealt a severe blow to the hosts just before the series began. 4 hitter’s slot.
The call-up of Rajat Patidar was anticipated, but there were also rumors that veteran player Cheteshwar Pujara, who hasn’t played for India since the World Test Championship 2023 Final at The Oval, might return.
In response to the decision, captain Rohit Sharma stood up and stated that, despite Pujara’s expertise, he truly intended to select someone like Rajat Patidar as a successor.
Speaking at the press conference the day before the match in Hyderabad, Rohit quoted the BCCI as saying, “We did consider having Pujara, but when would these younger players get their chance? That’s something we also considered. It is quite difficult to overlook or not take into consideration an experienced player. It’s difficult to overlook the quantity of runs they’ve scored and the number of games they’ve won for the nation.
The Indian captain reiterated how crucial it is to give some players (like Patidar) an opportunity to prove themselves in familiar surroundings before subjecting them to unfamiliar circumstances on international travels. The Nagpur native believes that it’s critical to keep going against the younger players since it prevents a situation in which most of the eleven men don’t have adequate experience before taking on a significant task.
There are situations when you need to include specific players in your lineup as well. The Indian captain went on, “You have to offer them your favorable conditions because you don’t want to expose them on foreign tours where they haven’t played before.”
Nobody is excluded from the space: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, 36, believed that any players, regardless of age or level of experience, could still make their way back onto the team. He gave his word once more that the doors would always be open for anyone playing cricket at any level, domestic or otherwise. In order for the club to select players for the starting lineup, Rohit, as the team’s captain, needs them to be healthy and productive.
“I’m not arguing that doors are closed to anyone—by any means. Everyone will be welcomed back into the lineup as long as they maintain their fitness and continue to score runs, and at the same time, we’ll continue to seek for other players to give them some playing time,” Rohit said.
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