Cape Town/New Delhi: Even before the first ball of the Freedom Cup was bowled, Team India captain Virat Kohli surprised everyone including the opposition by dropping Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane from the playing XI.
Yes, you heard it right; India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was not included in the Indian squad to face South Africa in Cape Town. Virat is often known for taking bold decisions. The skipper has always been focusing on the fact that more than the reputation and stats of a player, it is about the current form which seals the place in the Indian setup
The 29-year-old struggled off-late with scores of 4, 0, 2, 1, 10 in the last 3 Test matches against a self-doubting Sri Lankan team, that too in home conditions which might have prompted captain and coach Ravi Shastri to go forward with the decision.
Interestingly, Rahane has been India’s best overseas batsman having an average of over 50 but, for Virat, it doesn’t seem to be enough. The Indian captain opted for in-form Rohit Sharma, who clobbered Sri Lankan bowling line-up across all the formats during Lanka’s tour of India. Rohit will take over the number 5 position from Rahane for the first red-ball encounter in Cape Town
Although, Rohit was seen struggling during India’s tour to South Africa in 2013/14 where he lacked technique and temperament as a Test batsman. But this time around he is in a better shape. The 30-year-old has matured as a batsman and has been patient enough while leaving balls outside his off-stump. Recent success at home has definitely filled him with confidence
Another change which raised the eyebrows was the inclusion of yorker specialist Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI. The debutant has been impressive with the white ball for over a year and the management thought that it was the right time for him to be introduced to the red ball cricket.