The Indian Board, Board of Control for Cricket in India has said that the former ODI skipper and the current Test match Captain, Virat Kohli, will play the three-match One Day International against South Africa. The first two One Day International matches will be played at Paarl, and the last match is scheduled to be played at Newlands in Cape Town. The three-match ODI series will start on Wednesday 19th January 2022.
The BCCI Officials and office bearers have said that Virat Kohli has no excuse to skip the One Day International series against South Africa. The reports that said Virat would skip the fifty overs series are fake. The BCCI members also said that the former ODI captain and the best batsman of the team, Kohli is very committed to playing this great game, and undoubtedly he is available for this series.
The reports were the speculations that Virat Kohli is not happy because he was sacked as India’s fifty-over format captain and Rohit Sharma, who was the appointed the T20I captaincy also got confirmed as the One Day International captain of the national side.
None of the Indian Board, BCCI members, have spoken to Virat Kohli regarding this matter. But the President of the BCCI, Sourav Ganguly, was in Mumbai for two days, and he expects that Virat Kohli should speak up regarding this matter at the pre-media press conference, which will be held before India leaves for South Africa for three Test matches and ODI matches. The first Test match will be played on Sunday, 26th December 2021, at Centurion.
Still no clarification on Rohit Sharma’s Fitness
India’s main player across the format has sustained a left hamstring injury, and thus Rohit Sharma will miss the entire three-match Test match series against South Africa, and his participation in the three-match One Day International series is in doubt. India’s Hit Man sustained this injury during one of the practice sessions in Bandra Kurla Complex.
The BCCI selectors and management have announced a replacement for the Test matches. Priyank Panchal will replace Rohit in the three-Test matches against The Proteas. Panchal is currently with India A squad on tour to the Proteas Nation, and he has scored 120 runs in three matches. But the selectors have not announced any replacement of Rohit Sharma for the fifty-over series.
The management should also announce the ODI captain for this series if Rohit misses out due to fitness issues. The BCCI members will wait before announcing any replacements or further news of Rohit Sharma. The selection committee will meet only after completing the current Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021/2022.
According to the reports, Ruturaj Gaikwad will be selected for the One Day International series against South Africa after his fantastic run in the current Vijay Hazare Trophy. The BCCI will announce the ODI squad for the three matches ODI series against South Africa on 26th December 2021 after the Vijay Hazare Trophy is completed.
