Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma may pick and choose the matches he plays in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) to manage his workload ahead of the national team’s marquee engagements later in the year, including the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia in June and the ICC World Cup in October-November, according to a report. Star batter Suryakumar Yadav is expected to take over the MI captaincy in Rohit’s absence.
Rohit had mentioned the importance of taking a break between IPL matches to keep themselves fresh and fit following India’s ODI series against Australia. The Indian captain is now going to lead by example and according to a report in The Indian Express, although the Mumbai skipper may not appear in all the IPL matches this year, he will continue to be with the team and give his inputs to stand-in skipper Suryakumar.
Also read – IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma Urges Players To ‘Take Care Of Their Bodies’
“It is all up to the franchises now. The franchises own them now. We have given some indications to the teams, but at the end of the day, it is up to the franchise, and most importantly, the players. They have to take care of their own bodies. They are all adults,” Rohit had told reporters after the loss to Australia on March 22 in Chennai.
“If they feel that it is getting a little too much they can always talk about it and have a break in one or two games,” Rohit suggested.
India are already faced with injuries to two of the important members of the side – Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah.
The 28-year-old batsman Iyer’s back issue worsened during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and hampered his participation in the match. He is now reportedly slated to undergo surgery and be out for at least five months, putting him out of contention for the ICC WTC Final and making his participation ICC World Cup uncertain.
Also read – IPL 2023: BCCI to Track Workload of India Test And ODI Regulars
Star pacer Bumrah, on the other hand, has been sidelined since September 2022, also with a back issue. He has, however, undergone surgery in New Zealand and is understood to be recovering well. The Board of Control (BCCI) has, in this regard, made it clear that Bumrah’s fullest recovery and prolonging his career are its top priority and the pacer will not be rushed into action just yet. All the other stakeholders, including his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, BCCI, the Indian team management and physios are reportedly on the same page on this issue. Bumrah is a proven match-winner whose presence will be critical if India are to win the ICC World Cup for the third time.
Under this situation, therefore, India can’t afford any other injury scare, and Rohit, who has had injury issues in the past, doesn’t want to risk putting his body through the grind by playing every match of the IPL. The T20 competition is a marathon affair and involves a lot of travelling across the country and so workload management will be crucial.
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