Rohit Sharma Excluded from India’s Playing XI for Sydney Test
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, has been left out of the playing XI for the Sydney Test against Australia, which is set to begin tomorrow (Friday). This decision comes after a series of disappointing performances in Test cricket. Despite his return to lead the team after missing the first Test due to the birth of his second child, Sharma’s recent form has been underwhelming.
Rohit initially batted in the middle order during the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests before moving to open the batting in Melbourne, a move that led to the exclusion of Shubman Gill. However, Sharma’s form continued to decline, impacting both his batting and his decision-making.
At 37, Rohit’s position in the Test team had already been in question, and his omission for the final match of the series was widely expected. According to reports from Times of India, his recent performances did not justify a place in the playing XI, prompting the team management to drop him for the Sydney Test.
In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit has scored only 31 runs in five innings, with an average of just 6.20. His overall performance since 2024 has been lackluster, with only 619 runs in 14 matches at an average of 24.76, including two centuries and two fifties. Since his 103-run knock against England in March 2024, Rohit has struggled to find consistency, managing just 154 runs from 15 innings at an average of 10.26.
Rohit skipped the pre-match press conference, fueling speculation about his future in the team. Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is expected to lead India in what may be Rohit’s final Test match for the country.
India secured a commanding 295-run victory in the series opener under Bumrah’s leadership, but the subsequent matches did not yield similar results. With the leadership change, India will aim to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the final game.
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will return to the opening positions, while Shubman Gill is set to bat at No. 3. Prasidh Krishna is likely to replace the injured Akash Deep, and it remains to be seen if Mohammed Siraj will get another chance or if Harshit Rana will be included in the squad.
