On Monday, September 18, Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia starting from September 22.
For the high-profile series, the management decided to leave out marquee players to give them rest ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023, which begins on October 5 in India. Notably, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Kuldeep Yadav have been rested for the first two ODIs but will return for the third and final match.
एशिया कप जीतने के बाद गंभीर ने कोहली का उड़ाया मजाक – VIDEO
Virat’s omission did not go well with the fans as they criticised the BCCI and management for deliberately trying to keep Sachin Tendulkar’s record safe. Kohli has 47 ODI hundreds and is just two centuries away from equalling the master blaster’s record for most ODI hundreds.
“Virat Kohli rested for the first two ODIs against Australia. Rohit Dravid and Whole Mumbai lobby is trying to save Sachin Tendulkar records,” wrote a fan on Twitter. Similarly, several other Virat supporters took to social media to bash BCCI. Here are some of the reactions.
If India beat Australia 2-1 in the series, they would enter the ICC World Cup 2023 as the No.1 ranked ODI team.