After a comprehensive five-wicket victory in the series opener, Team India are facing West Indies in the second ODI at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday (July 29).
For the game, the visitors rested their two senior-most players – skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While Hardik Pandya walked out for the toss, Sanju Samson and Akshar Patel replaced Rohit and Kohli in the playing XI.
Speaking at the toss, Hardik said Rohit and Kohli have been playing constantly, and the team needs “answers for a few questions,” indicating that the management wanted to test the youngsters during the 50-over series.
“Rohit and Virat have been playing constant cricket, few questions need to be answered for us so they are resting in this game. They can be fresh for the third OD. Sanju Samson and Akshar Patel come in for Rohit and Virat,” Hardik stated.
However, the decision didn’t sit well with many fans, who insisted that the two star batters shouldn’t take rest with a few months remaining for the ODI World Cup.
Taking to micro-blogging site X, fans expressed their frustration over the decision to rest Rohit and Kohli.
Here are the reactions:
India’s playing XI for second ODI: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar
