Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has sensationally claimed that Rohit Sharma should be stripped of the Indian captaincy ahead of his side’s upcoming Test series against Australia.
The Indian selectors have not confirmed whether the opening batsman will be available for the opening Test at the Optus Stadium on Friday, November 22.
It is understood the 37-year-old will not travel with the rest of the squad, who are due to depart for Australia on Monday.
Jasprit Bumrah is expected to step in as India captain in his place, with Sharma opting to stay home for the birth of his second child with partner Ritika Sajdeh.
Coach Gautam Gambhir said in his pre-departure press conference that he was still ‘hopeful’ Sharma would be available for the first Test in Perth.
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has claimed that Rohit Sharma should be stripped of India’s captaincy ahead of this summer’s Test series against Australia
It is understood that Sharma will not travel to Australia with his teammates and will stay home for the birth of his second child with partner Ritika Sajdeh (left)
India came into the series fresh after a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand and Gavaskar believes the team should not change captains midway through the series in Australia.
But cricket legend Gavaskar believes that the selectors should take over the captaincy completely from Sharma if he is unable to play in the first match.
“It is important that the captain plays the first Test match,” Gavaskar further said Sports Branch.
“If he is injured it is different, but if he is not available the deputy leader is under a lot of pressure.
“I have read that Rohit Sharma may not play the first two Tests of the Australia series.
“I feel that in that case, the selection committee should appoint Jasprit Bumrah as captain of the side for the entire Australian tour and tell Rohit Sharma that you will participate in this series as a player.”
India will be looking to bounce back from the huge 3-0 defeat to India and could field KL Rahul in place of Sharma at the top of the batting order.
Gavaskar opined that to bounce back against Australia, India should not change captains midway through the series.
‘Because we lost this series 0-3 [against New Zealand]“There is a need for a captain,” he said.
Gavaskar claimed that selectors should tell Sharma that he will participate in the series only as a player if he will not be available to lead the side in Perth.
Ex-Aussie T20I captain Aaron Finch (right) has meanwhile come out to defend Sharma’s position
‘The captain must unite the team. If there is no captain at the beginning (against Australia), it is better to make someone else captain.”
But former Australian T20I and ODI captain Aaron Finch has questioned the comments, claiming that dropping Sharma from captaincy at such an important time in his life would not be the right option.
“I strongly disagree,” Finch said ESPN is around the Wicket.
‘Rohit Sharma is the captain of the Indian cricket team.
‘If you have to stay at home because your wife is having a baby, that is such a beautiful moment, you take all the time for it.’
Following Finch’s comments, Sajdeh appeared to tip her hat to the former Australian batsman on Instagram.
Below a screenshot of Finch’s comments supporting her partner, Sajdeh posted a “salute emoji” before tagging the Australian’s Instagram name.
Despite their opposing views, Finch and Gavaskar will unite in the Channel Seven commentary box to cover the upcoming Test series.
Sharma’s wife then took to Instagram to greet former Aussie T20I captain Finch
Finch claimed having a baby was ‘such a beautiful moment’ and said Sharma should ‘take all the time he needs’
It comes as both India and Australia have gone through several top-flight selection issues ahead of the first Test. Pat Cummins’ side appear to have settled for South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney as Usman Khawaja’s best batting partner.
And speaking about how the squad could line up for the first Test, Gautam Gambhir said other options are available if Sharma cannot play.
“Once it gets closer to the first Test match, we will plan and play the best playing XI that will do the job for us,” he told reporters on Monday.
“(Jasprit) Bumrah is the vice-captain, so obviously he will (be the captain) if Rohit is not available.”
Questions have been looming over Sharma’s future with the Test side of late after he called time on his T20I career.
He had led India’s white-ball side to the World Cup title earlier this year but struggled for runs in both of India’s recent Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Sharma has managed just half a century in his last five Test appearances.
Against New Zealand, Shama scored just 91 runs in six innings, with the opener slumping to hit just eight runs during the second Test after being dismissed for no runs in the first innings.
Ex-captain and former chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth has previously spoken out about Sharma’s mixed form, claiming that the 37-year-old could retire from Test cricket completely.
Questions are beginning to be raised about Sharma’s recent form after he struggled for runs during India’s defeat to New Zealand
‘You have to start thinking ahead. If Rohit Sharma doesn’t do well, I think he himself will retire from Test cricket, for all you know,” he said.
“He only plays ODIs. He has already left T20I cricket. We must not forget that he is also getting older.
He added, “Hats off to Rohit for accepting that he played poorly throughout the series and was a poor captain. That’s a great thing.
‘That is the first move for a player to get back into the rhythm. Accepting your guilt is very important. That is a very important quality in a person.’