The decision of Indian team management to rest Rohit Sharma for the first two games of the five-T20I series against England didn’t go down well with former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, who wants to keep his TV turned off if the swashbuckling opener doesn’t feature in the next match.
Sehwag’s comments came in the wake of India’s embarrassing 8-wicket defeat in the T20I series opener at Ahmedabad on Friday (March 12).
“If Rohit Sharma is present, then he should be kept in the team. Public comes to see players like Rohit. I am his fan myself. If he does not play, my TV will be turned off,” Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz in a post-match coverage.
Before the game, India skipper Virat Kohli had said in the press conference that Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul would be opening the innings. Therefore, the call to rest Rohit for a couple of matches came as a surprise to many.
Shikhar Dhawan opened the innings alongside Rahul but both of them failed to make a mark. While Dhawan scored 4 from 12 deliveries, Rahul made 1 off 4 balls.
Shreyas Iyer was the lone warrior with the bat, scoring 67 off 48 balls with 8 fours and a six. Besides him, none of the Indian batsmen managed to touch the 25-run mark as the hosts posted a modest 124/7 in 20 overs.
“‘Virat has said that Rohit Sharma will not play in the first two matches, but if India loses then will this strategy continue?’ Defeat makes a lot of difference to the team. If I were the captain, I would have brought my best team,” Sehwag said.
After a heavy loss in the first game, it will be interesting to see whether the Indian team management continues to rest Rohit or brings him back for the second T20I.
“I think he (Virat) says something and does something else. What he says and does on the field do not match. First, he said he would back Rishabh Pant for T20I and ODI but he dropped him from both. When he scored runs in Test cricket, then he said Pant should come back fit and if he continued to do well, he would be recalled. Virat is still saying that Rishabh should play his natural game. But if he plays the same way, 21 off 23, he would again be warming the bench. So, I think, what he says doesn’t reflect on the ground,” Sehwag added.
The second T20I will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 14).
