Inside the selection twist: Rohit’s late intervention changed ODI opening plans

Hitman” Rohit Sharma wasn’t the selectors’ preferred choice to open the ODI innings alongside captain Shubman Gill for the Afghanistan series. Their pick was Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, sources told CricBlogger that a last-minute phone call from Rohit to board officials helped him secure a place in the ODI squad.

Sources said that Yashasvi Jaiswal was not picked for the India-A tri-series because he was initially expected to be part of the ODI squad in the absence of Rohit.

However, a day before the ODI squad selection, sources claimed that Rohit got an inkling of the selectors’ plans and made phone calls to board officials to retain his place in the team. When CricBlogger tried reaching out to board officials, none of them were available for comment.

However, a source said that whether to include Rohit in the ODI series against Afghanistan or give him a break was part of the selection committee’s agenda, along with discussions on resting other senior players. Most of the seniors were available, however, and the squad was picked accordingly.

With Rohit having missed a few IPL matches due to a hamstring injury, selectors may not have had a clear update on his fitness status. There is also speculation that he may have missed a scheduled fitness assessment at the National Cricket Academy.

Meanwhile, murmurs within cricketing circles suggest that Rohit may have been treated differently at the behest of India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is believed to have already made up his mind about not including the veteran opener in India’s plans for the 2027 World Cup. “Therefore, Rohit may have to walk away from ODI cricket as well,” another source indicated.

The selectors picked the India-A squad for the tri-series involving hosts Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on May 14, while the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series was finalised on May 19.

Sources said that Yashasvi Jaiswal was not included in the India-A squad because the selectors wanted him to open the innings alongside Gill in the ODI team. “Now we know why Jaiswal isn’t part of the ODI squad,” the source said.

It is also understood that Rohit Sharma is not ready to give up yet and believes that if Virat Kohli can continue playing at the highest level, there is no reason why he cannot. Sources said this was the main argument Rohit used to convince the board bosses, who eventually made a last-minute adjustment to accommodate him in the squad.

Going by the way things are unfolding, Rohit Sharma may no longer remain part of India’s ODI plans in the near future. “It will be extremely tough for Rohit to make the World Cup squad because there are quite a few contenders for the opening slot,” the source added.