Rohit, Ishant still in contention for Australian tour: Sourav Ganguly
What's the story
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly opened up on the availability of marquee players Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma for Team India's impending tour Down Under. He stated that both the players are still in contention for the tour and could make a return. Notably, his statement comes after the BCCI left out the duo from India's squads. Here is more.
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'We want them fit for the tour', says Ganguly
"We are monitoring Ishant and Rohit. Ishant is not completely out. He will become a part of Test series. With Rohit, we want him fit for Australia. If he is fit, I am sure the selectors will rethink his position," Ganguly told Hindustan Times.
Rohit
Hamstring injury has forced Rohit to miss recent IPL games
Rohit had injured his hamstring during the Super Over thriller against Kings XI Punjab on October 18. Following that, he has missed Mumbai Indians' encounters against Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals respectively, in the IPL 2020. On Sunday, he was assessed by the BCCI medical team, however, the details are yet to be out.
Ishant
Ishant was ruled out of the IPL 2020
Indian speedster Ishant Sharma was earlier ruled out of the IPL due to a muscle tear. Ahead of DC's opening game this season, Ishant had injured his back during a training session in Dubai. Further reports revealed that he experienced pain in his left rib cage. Ishant could play only a solitary game in the season, wherein he remained wicketless against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Shastri
Ravi Shastri advised Rohit not to rush his comeback
Recently, Indian head coach Ravi Shastri said Rohit should be careful regarding his injury. The former added that Rohit could be in danger of injuring himself again and advised the batsman not to rush his comeback. Quoting his personal experience from the Australian tour, Shastri added that Rohit must not speed-up things as he is still prone to injuries.
Contributions
India will miss the services of Rohit and Ishant
If Rohit and Ishant remain unfit, Team India will miss their services in Australia. The former now spearheads India's top order across formats. Notably, he finished as the second-highest run-scorer (2,442) in international cricket, last year. On the other hand, Ishant has been a vital cog in the pace-bowling attack (Tests). He picked up 11 wickets at 23.82 in the historic (2018) Border-Gavaskar Trophy.