The exact details of the injuries haven’t been disclosed, but Virat Kohli is reportedly carrying a niggle. KL Rahul has also sustained an injury. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, who stayed back in India for the birth of his child, has not yet joined the team in Australia. Despite the baby’s birth, Rohit has chosen to remain with his wife and newborn, ruling him out of the first Test.
Cricket portal Cricinfo has confirmed Rohit’s absence from the Perth Test. Adding to India’s woes ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, another key batter, Shubman Gill, is also nursing an injury.
The five-match India-Australia series is set to kick off with the Perth Test this Friday. Ahead of the opener, India has been practicing behind closed doors in Perth, where Gill sustained an injury to his left thumb while fielding. The Times of India reported this based on team sources, though India’s team management declined to comment on the matter when approached by Reuters.
If Gill fails to recover in time, India might face significant challenges with their top-order lineup. It remains uncertain whether Rohit Sharma will return for the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Gill, who started his Test career as an opener, has been batting at No. 3 since mid-2023. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been opening the innings alongside Rohit in recent matches. Adding to the concerns, KL Rahul had to leave the field yesterday with an elbow injury after being struck by a delivery from Prasidh Krishna during an intra-squad game.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, the Indian management has requested Devdutt Padikkal, who is currently with India A in Australia, to stay back as cover. However, The Times of India reports there’s less worry about Kohli, who underwent scans for his injury but joined the team’s practice today.
