Twitter Reactions
‘To select hi kyu kiya tha’ – Fans fume as India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli skip 2nd ODI against West Indies
In the second ODI against the West Indies, India made a shocking decision by resting Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. In the absence of senior players, all-rounder Hardik Pandya led the Men in Blue in Barbados. The decision to rest in this game has shocked fans and cricket pundits, as India will have just one ODI game after this match to prepare for the Asia Cup 2023.
Speaking at the toss, Hardik revealed that Rohit and Kohli have opted to rest before the third game. “We were looking to bat first. We want to see how much we can score on this pitch, which is a bit up and down. Rohit and Virat have been playing constant cricket, so they are resting in this game. They can be fresh for the third ODI. I think when you get someone out for 115, it’s a good sign. Our catch was impressive, but we can improve in certain areas. Sanju Samson and Axar come in for Rohit and Virat”, said Hardik.
Earlier, West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and opted to bowl. The hosts will be keen to win the game in order to stay alive in the series. “We are going to bowl first; we saw what happened in the last game. The conditions will assist the bowlers. We’ve got two games to play, so we’ve got to win this one to stay alive. It has been a bit unpredictable. Both teams have to play on the same surface. We’ve got to bowl first and put them under pressure. Powell, Drakes, and Keacy are out; Alzarri and Keacy are in”, said Hope after winning the Toss.
Do-or-die game for the West Indies
Notably, this is a do-or-die game for the hosts. After losing the first match by five wickets, the West Indies need to win this game to level the series. It’s worth noting that the West Indies have failed to put up a show in ODI cricket in the last few months. They failed to qualify for the World Cup 2023 and then got brutally thrashed by India in the first ODI.
West Indies (Playing XI): Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope (w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales
India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (w), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
Here is how fans react to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s rest:
They both will not play the T20I series against WI or Ireland. That means only 1 game is left before the Asia Cup.
— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) July 29, 2023
Saturday Ruined Mann 🤬
— hshsjlskajhjsjsj (@phenomenal908) July 29, 2023
Sanju playing today and Hardik seems not so happy about it
— Nirmal Jyothi (@majornirmal) July 29, 2023
It makes no sense because they are resting for T20s and you don't want to miss out on limited possibilities before the big Asia Cup and World Cup.
— Shubham Sakhuja (@ishubhamsakhuja) July 29, 2023
Jab rest he karwana tha to select kyu kiya ???
— Pawan Shukla (@Shukla8175) July 29, 2023
Series already has Low Viewership, Now it dropped Further More
— Pandu Raj (@CSKianPanduRaj) July 29, 2023
Consider this scenario
Rohit Rested and Virat plays(as a captain)
India wins today where Virat scores a Double hundred.
Selectors will think Virat is perfect to give back captaincy as he is in full form and hence Virat is made captain for world cup too.
And India wins world…
— Jitesh (@Chaotic_mind99) July 29, 2023
No one's gonna watch this match now
— Pranav (@PranavR40) July 29, 2023
— Dyno 👓 (@dyno_tweet) July 29, 2023
What I saw:
Rohit Sharma & Virat kohli rested for the 2nd ODI.
What I read:
No match Tonight
— ℍℙ (@Himansiuu_31) July 29, 2023