NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed his views on the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the upcoming India A vs Australia A one-day series, urging that the two stalwarts should have played to regain match rhythm. The three-match series is scheduled in Kanpur from September 30 to October 5, with Rajat Patidar captaining the first game and Tilak Varma leading the side in the remaining two matches.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted the long gap since the duo last played competitive cricket.“Neither Rohit nor Kohli is playing. Of course, it’s the India A matches against Australia A, and under normal circumstances, we would say it doesn’t make a difference as Rohit and Kohli wouldn’t play. However, if you see, when was the last time they played competitive cricket? Kohli last played in the IPL final and Rohit Sharma played even before that,” he said.
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Chopra also suggested that the selectors likely consulted the senior players, who might have refused participation.“I am sure the selectors would have asked them and they would have refused. Why am I saying that the selectors would have asked them? Considering the team that has been picked, it has even been tried to include the Asia Cup players, so that some form stays with them and they keep playing competitive games,” he added.The former batter stressed the importance of getting match practice to regain form and rhythm, emphasising that skipping these games could hurt future performances.“I personally feel that when you haven’t played cricket for such a long time, you have to give yourself some chance, that you get a little rhythm and play a few games. If you are not going to play at all, you are not setting yourself up for success,” Chopra stated.With India A now ready to host Australia A, the absence of Kohli and Rohit remains a talking point among fans and experts alike.India A squad for the 1st one-day match: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh.India A squad for 2nd and 3rd one-dayers: Tilak Varma (Captain), Rajat Patidar (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.
