Rohit Sharma Will Join Team India On 24th Nov

Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma will return to the Indian side in Australia on November 24 and will be available for the team just in time for the preparation of the Test series to be played against the home side. Rohit will play a two-day day-night tour game in Canberra. He is likely to play for the Indian national cricket team from November 30, when their two-day day-night tour game is scheduled to begin against the Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval. It will be good practice before the challenging day-night Test in Adelaide.

Rohit’s stint in the Canberra game is also particularly important as it precedes the much-awaited day-night Test in Adelaide. That will be his first game back for India after missing the opening Test in Perth. He had stayed back in India for the birth of his second child, not wanting to be away from his family on the occasion.

Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah had taken over the reins to lead the Indian team in Perth during his absence. A day before the first Test, Bumrah had spoken to the media, mentioning that he had been in contact with Rohit and was seeking clarification on his captaincy responsibilities.

 

“I have spoken to Rohit, but I wanted some clarity before captaining the team,” Bumrah had said, highlighting the significance of having clear communication between the leadership.

Rohit Sharma’s return to team India in Australia

 

Rohit’s return to the team will come as a much-needed rejuvenation for India, especially in light of the fact that the team is going to field some new faces in the first Test in Perth. In all likelihood, the two-day pink-ball match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra will give the Indian players, especially Rohit, a much-needed chance at getting match fit and adjusting to conditions in Australia before the Test series begins.

The Prime Minister’s XI has a history of playing such preparation matches, having previously come up against the West Indies in a four-day day-night match in 2022. Pakistan had a limited-over series against the same team in 2023, but India’s engagement here in a shorter format, of just two days, is a bit of an outlier. It will present an opportunity for India to fine-tune themselves in the pink-ball format, which is going to play a crucial role in the upcoming Test matches, especially at Adelaide.

 

For Rohit, who has been out of form for quite some time, the two-day game will be an opportunity to recapture his touch at the bat again. Rohit managed just 91 runs in six innings in India’s recent home series against New Zealand and averages an underwhelming 15.16. Such a form has seen the Indian captain somewhat worried, while the Canberra match will be just the perfect platform to build confidence ahead of the high-stakes day-night Test series.

The last day-night Test played by the Indian team was in March 2022 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, where India won by a huge margin of 238 runs. However, for Rohit and his men, it will be the memory of the 2021 series that will seem most relevant. In that particular series, India suffered a dramatic collapse in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, getting bowled out for as low as 36 runs.

However, it was the same India that staged a great comeback to win the series 2-1, making it one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket history. That victory, coupled with the challenges of playing under lights, will be fresh in the minds of players as they get ready for the upcoming day-night encounter in Adelaide.

 

This would be an essential match for the Indian team in preparation for the day-night Test series against Australia. In Canberra, the two-day match would test India both with adjustments in tactics needed to play with the pink ball as well as Rohit trying out to regain his form and more importantly lead the team into what promises to be a tough and very competitive series.

ALSO READ: Jofra Archer Back In IPL 2025 Auction List