India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has finally provided some much-needed clarity on the injury rumours surrounding captain Rohit Sharma. Doeschate said that Rohit has had this particular injury before and knows how to deal with it.
Speaking to the press ahead of the match on Sunday, Doeschate said, “He’s all right. As you can see, he’s batting, and he did a little bit of fielding earlier. It’s an injury he’s had before, so he knows how to manage it really well, and he’s on top of it,”
On managing Rishabh Pant:
The Indian assistant coach also spoke about Rishabh Pant not getting a chance to play for the country in the ODI series against England and now in the Champions Trophy.
Doeschate said, “It’s been very hard on Rishabh not playing, but that’s the nature of sport at this level. KL’s been good. He didn’t get many chances, and when you’re batting at six or seven, it’s difficult to get proper opportunities,”
“We’ve got to keep Rishabh up and running. We never know when we’re going to need him, but certainly, having two wicketkeepers of that calibre is a nice thing to have,” the India coach added.
What happens if Rohit Sharma is not available for New Zealand match?
If Rohit Sharma is unavailable for India’s final Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, it’s likely that vice-captain Shubman Gill will have to take on the responsibility of leading the side.
Meanwhile, with no backup opener in the side, KL Rahul could be promoted up the order while Rishabh Pant could be asked to take his place. This could also be the reason why the Indian assistant coach is now talking about getting the talented left-hander ready for the game, despite not getting a single chance in the last 5 matches.
