India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma likely to be rested for T20I series, Virat Kohli set to return as captain

Indian captain Virat Kohli is set to return to the team for the upcoming limited-overs’ series against Australia after taking a much-needed break. Kohli missed the last two ODIs against New Zealand and the complete T20I series. As per a report in CricketNext, Kohli is expected to be back for the Australia ODIs, along with Jasprit Bumrah who was rested after the completion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in early January. Rohit Sharma, however, may miss the T20I series which is followed by the ODI series. “The selectors had decided to rotate the players. The Indian team plays so much cricket throughout the year, the players need enough time to rest and recover. With Kohli returning, vice-captain Rohit Sharma might be rested for the T20 ties,” a senior BCCI official told CricketNext. The same report suggests that Shikhar Dhawan might be rested for the latter half of the ODI series. In his place, the Indian team would like to try KL Rahul, who has been out of the team for a while, courtesy his suspension by BCCI in aftermath of the sexist comments made in a chat show. Vidarbha bowler Umesh Yadav and Saurashtra’s captain and pacer Jaydev Unadkat are also in contention to get a call-up from the selectors are their impressive show in the Ranji Trophy. Australia’s limited-overs tour begins on 24 February with the first T20I in Visakhapatnam. The second T20I will take place in Bengaluru. The ODI series begins on 2 March and will end on 13 March.