For all those enjoying the IPL action from the United Arab Emirates, here comes the moment of truth, three key players are out with injuries for the big tour of Australia later this year.
Now that it is certain that Team India will tour Australia and play Tests, ODIs and T20s under the bio bubble, one would have expected all the top players to be fit.
However, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) omitting Rohit Sharma from the three squads totally on Monday, it is clear the Mumbai Indians captain is battling not just a niggle but something much more.
Transparency and BCCI are alien to each other. Be it selection matters or any issue relating to a player’s injury or selection, the BCCI has never been frank and forthright.
On Monday, shortly after the BCCI named the players for the Aussie tour, Mumbai Indians posted a picture of Rohit bating at the nets in UAE. It was baffling, to say the least. If a player has been deemed not fit for selection, then courtesy demands he does not play any form of cricket, least of all in the IPL.
To be sure, when the IPL began, Rohit looked in good touch with the bat. However, his paunch was an ugly sight. It is well known after the lockdown due to Covid-19, several athletes were in a state of inertia. Across several disciplines, athletes were struggling hard to stay fit and train. In addition, building match fitness was a different aspect.
One presumes Rohit was training all along, even of at home, as the IPL was always on the cards, even if it had to be moved outside India. For someone who is an integral part of Indian cricket and did wonderfully well last year in the ICC World Cup in England, Rohit being ruled out for the Australia tour is worrying.
It goes to show that when one plays in extreme heat and humidity in the UAE and a cricketer suffers an injury, it has to be taken seriously. When Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar got injured during the IPL initial stages, it brought into focus how returning to sport after a long break is fraught with risks. The two fast bowlers representing Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL were sent home.
Perhaps, before the Mumbai Indians attempts any more tricks with Rohit Sharma, he should be flown back to Mumbai and get treated. If he has been ruled out so well in advance for Australia, millions of cricket fans need to know the truth.
Is the injury something big or is there a mystery behind his omission?
The rumour mills are working overtime, so the best is the BCCI comes out with the truth.
Mr. S. Kannan
Senior, Sports Journalist
