India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma hinted at the exclusion of youngsters Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel from the playing XI for the IND vs BAN 1st Test. The ‘Hitman’ dropped the hint during a press conference ahead of the 1st Test in Chennai which will begin on September 19. Both Sarfaraz and Jurel made their Test debuts earlier this year in the IND vs ENG series.
No Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel in India’s playing XI for IND vs BAN 1st Test?
Rohit Sharma stated that the playing XI was picked based on the contribution of the players in the last few years. The Indian skipper expressed his desire to start the season on a high note and further pointed out that new players were given opportunities in the series against England as the team witnessed multiple injuries to senior players.
“When we played in the last series against India, we had a lot of injuries and that’s when we got the opportunity look at new players,” Rohit Sharma said.
As per reports, a BCCI official had earlier stated that KL Rahul will start ahead of Sarfaraz in IND vs BAN Test series, clearly referring to the team’s preference of experience over form. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel is almost certain to warm the bench, given the return of India’s first-choice keeper Rishabh Pant.
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The Indian skipper further heaped praise on the youngsters in the side, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel.
“They are very new to Test cricket. You don’t need to speak much to them. We saw glimpses of what they can do with the bat, Jurel with the gloves behind the stumps. They have the ability to be a top player in all three formats of the game. We have to groom them. They are very clear with what they want to do and are hungry for success,” Rohit Sharma added.