‘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: