Picture Credit: BCCI
In a big news ahead of India's crunch match against New Zealand in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, it is being learned that Rohit Sharma has niggle and will not be able to take the field. In his absence, Ishan Kishan is likely to replace him at the top of the order for this match set to begin in less than two hours at the Dubai International Stadium.
With both the sides having lost to Pakistan in their respective opening fixtures, the match could well decide who can be the other team to join Pakistan in the semifinal lineup after the Men in Green have already put one foot in the semis with as many as three wins.
The Hitman had departed for a duck in the match against Pakistan after impressing one and all with a half-century in the second warm-up match against Australia. Meanwhile, Kishan too picked some form in the last couple of Indian Premier League matches for Mumbai Indians and scored a quickfire fifty in the first warm-up fixture.
The news of Rohit not playing was further fuelled by the fact that Kishan was seen with a pair of batting gloves and not his wicketkeeping gloves in a video shared by the BCCI. In this case, there might even be a possibility that Kishan might replace Suryakumar Yadav in the XI as suggested in SportsTiger's Playing XI for this match.
Here is the video shared by BCCI:
India should play Shardul Thakur: Aakash Chopra
Meanwhile after Bhuvneshwar Kumar has now had an extended poor run in the build up to the T20 World Cup as well as the Pakistan match, former cricketers and commentators have backed Shardul Thakur to replace him in the side.
"In my opinion, they should think about Shardul Thakur, and I will say they should play him. It is because Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a phenomenal bowler over the years, but the current form is totally missing" cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube Channel.
“The ball is not reaching there, with the pace it used to. I know it is not ideal, you don’t want to make too many changes in your team, but Lord Thakur has something. Lord hai to mumkin hai,” he added.
A full stop on all these questions will arrive only at the toss where captain Virat Kohli will reveal his Playing XI for the match. As far as New Zealand are concenred, Adam Milne is expected to get a game after replacing injured Lockie Ferguson in the squad.