Rohit Sharma Clears Fitness Test at NCA, Could Join Team Soon in Australia

Premier India batsman Rohit Sharma has been declared fit by the physios at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) following his hamstring during the Indian Premier League. He had reached the NCA in Bengaluru on November 19 and was set to undergo a fitness test on Friday. Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments said the batsman is fit for the rigours of international cricket. "He has passed the fitness test and the future course of action will be decided by the BCCI and the selection committee," the source said.

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"The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma's fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same. In consultation with Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India's Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," the BCCI said in a release on November 9.

Earlier, India skipper Virat Kohli had said there was confusion over Rohit's injury status and all that could have been handled better by the management.

"Well, before we had the selection meeting in Dubai, we got a mail two days before which said that Rohit is unavailable for selection because of the injury he picked up during the IPL. It mentioned a two-week rest and rehab period, and it said that the pros and cons of the injury were explained to Rohit and he understood that.

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"It was the information we got by mail but after that, he played in the IPL. We all thought that he would be on the flight to Australia which he wasn't and we had no information whatsoever on the reason behind him not flying to Australia," Kohli had said.

"After that, the only information we have received on mail is that he is at NCA and he will be further assessed on December 11. So from the time the selection meeting happened and the IPL ended and now when this mail came about his assessment, there has been lack of clarity, we have been playing the waiting game on this issue and this is not ideal at all," he added.

On the other hand, India head coach Ravi Shastri said that beating Australia in the T20I series without the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma as part of their line-up was a 'huge achievement'. India had come into the three-match T20I series on the back of a 2-1 loss in the ODI series but bounced back nicely, winning the first two T20Is in convincing fashion before narrowly losing the third and missing out on a clean sweep. The showing was doubly important given the fact that the next major ICC tournament coming up is the T20 World Cup, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Winning the T20s without Rohit and Bumrah was a huge achievement. What's essentially working beautifully for this team is players standing up to these responsibilities," he told the Times of India.

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