Rohit Sharma‘s omission from the India squads for the three formats on their tour of Australia next month has raised questions over his participation in the rest of this IPL season.
While the BCCI’s media release with the squad details merely said its medical team would “continue to monitor [Sharma’s] progress”, there used to be no word approximately any conceivable injury. Neither has there been any official observation from Mumbai Indians – of which he’s captain – on if he’s going to play the remainder of this season.
He has not played for Mumbai since the defeat against Kings XI Punjab on October 18. Minutes before the toss in their final match, against Chennai Super Kings on October 23, Mumbai issued a observation saying Sharma had ” suffered left leg hamstring strain” against Kings XI.
Around the time the BCCI announced the squads, though, Sharma used to be attending Mumbai’s training in Abu Dhabi, where he batted for the first time since the injury.
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— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 26, 2020
His omission from the squads today doesn’t, then again, necessarily intent he’s going to play no part on the tour. In reality, though neither Mumbai nor the BCCI have revealed the severity of Sharma’s injury, it is understood the player has been cautioned by the board’s medical team to not take any chances because it would have an effect on his availability for the Australian tour.
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The BCCI medical team’s caution is comprehensible because this is the second one time Sharma has injured his left leg. In February Sharma used to be forced to go back home from New Zealand after tearing his left calf muscle all through the T20 leg of that series.
Sharma had sustained the injury in the match against Kings XI, which had gone into a second Super Over. Sharma had batted in the first Super Over, but used to be pinned down by Mohammed Shami, who bowled five yorkers to concede two runs and help Kings XI defend the five-run target. It used to be while completing a tight unmarried off the penultimate delivery of that over that Sharma is understood to have injured his hamstring. He did not return for the second one Super Over, with Kieron Pollard taking charge then, and since, then as the Mumbai captain.
That same Mumbai observation said Sharma used to be making “good progress” but he watched Mumbai’s most recent match, against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, from the sidelines.
In August, Sharma admitted that it would be challenging for him to go back to cricket in the IPL after a six-month break owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. And it has not been easy for him: he has scored 260 runs while opening in nine matches with two fifties and a strike rate of 129.
Mumbai’s next three matches are on October 28 (against Royal Challengers Bangalore), October 31 (Delhi Capitals) and November 3 (Sunrisers Hyderabad).
Mumbai, the defending champions, currently lead the points table and are favourites to make the playoffs which will be played between November 5-10.