The BCCI announced an 18-man squad for the Indian cricket team’s upcoming ICC World Test Championship series against the Sri Lankan cricket team. Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian Test cricket team for the first time in his career, while Jasprit Bumrah will be the vice-captain. Four senior players, namely Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been dropped.
Former Indian Test player Aakash Chopra has opined that the fans may not hear the names of Saha and Ishant again because the Indian cricket team is undergoing a transition. Aakash feels the veteran duo will be replaced by new players soon.
Reacting to the Test squad announced by the BCCI for the Indian Test team’s series against Sri Lanka, Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel:
“Neither Wriddhiman Saha has found a mention, nor Ishant Sharma. You probably won’t hear their names again. This is where the transition is headed. This is the ‘eventual’ transition we’ve been talking about.“
Who will replace Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha in the Indian Test team?
At the moment, it seems like Rishabh Pant is the number one contender to replace Wriddhiman Saha, followed by KS Bharat. In the pace unit, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj seem the probable replacements for Ishant Sharma.
While Aakash Chopra said that the cricket universe may not hear the names of Saha and Sharma again, he added that it is not the end of the road for the veteran batting duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. Both batters are currently playing in the 2022 Ranji Trophy, where Rahane has scored a century against Saurashtra. Meanwhile, Pujara got out for a duck against Mumbai.
“Rahane’s just hit a century (against Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy). And he’s not 38 right. Nor is Pujara 38. It’s not the end of the road. It’s not written in stone that they can’t play for India again,” Chopra said.
