Rohit Sharma, India’s Test captain, may miss the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, as he is expecting the birth of his second child. Reports suggest that Sharma, who remains crucial to India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes, may not be available for the opening Test in Perth, scheduled for November 22.
India’s team for the series is set to depart for Australia in two separate groups. The first batch, featuring young talents like Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, departed on November 10, sharing their travel on social media. The second group, including other main squad players, is scheduled to leave on November 11.
The Indian captain likely to join the team later, with vice-captain Bumrah ready to step up if needed
As per a source from The Times of India, Rohit is not expected to travel with the team initially but could still join before the opening Test. “Rohit may join closer to the Test start, around the third week of November,” shared the BCCI source, keeping hopes alive for his participation.
Should Sharma be unable to participate, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead the team, marking a potential milestone in his career. The upcoming Border-Gavaskar series is critical for India, as they need a 4-0 clean sweep over Australia to secure a direct spot in the WTC final without relying on other results.
India has previously clinched two Test series wins in Australia, both 2-1, in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Expectations are high as the team prepares to begin their campaign at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
