Shubman Gill to replace Rohit Sharma for Tests\, Mayank Agarwal for ODIs

Shubman Gill to replace Rohit Sharma for Tests, Mayank Agarwal for ODIs

Shubman Gill has been in scintillating form of late. He scored an unbeaten 204 for the India A team in the drawn four-day game against New Zealand A in Christchurch on Friday.

By: Sports Desk | Updated: February 4, 2020 8:46:46 am
Shubman Gill, Shubman Gill India Test team, Rohit Sharma, India vs New Zealand Tests, Ind vs NZ test team, india cricket, cricket news, sports news Shubman Gill in action. (Express file photo)

Shubman Gill will replace injured Rohit Sharma for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. This was confirmed by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Monday evening.

Gill has been in scintillating form of late. He scored an unbeaten 204 for the India A team in the drawn four-day game against New Zealand A in Christchurch on Friday. Gill’s 279-ball effort comprised 22 boundaries and four sixes.

It has been learnt that Mayank Agarwal will be replacing Rohit as the third opener in the ODI set-up along with KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw. Agarwal was the logical choice in the white-ball format since he was the reserve opener in the side during the home ODI series against the West Indies when Shikhar Dhawan was absent due to knee injury.

Incidentally, 20-year-old Shubman was in the reserves of the Test team during the home season.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the upcoming ODI and Test series against New Zealand on Monday after sustaining a calf injury in the first innings of the fifth and final T20I at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui on Sunday. It all happened in the 17th over of India’s innings when Rohit experienced discomfort in his left leg. While he did keep on batting after it, a few balls later, after hitting a six, the right-hander struggled to take a single and decided to get off the field. India are set to play three ODIs, starting Wednesday, and two Tests after that.

India’s Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance).