Rohit Sharma is still just 70 per cent fit: Sourav Ganguly

Rohit Sharma’s exclusion from the limited-overs series against Australia has raised a few eyebrows in the cricket fraternity. Earlier it was reported that Rohit isn’t fit and therefore has been omitted from the squad. However, he returned to action for his franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last three games in the just-concluded 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) and seemed completely fit to board the flight to Sydney with the Indian team.

The opening batsman had suffered a hamstring tear in his left leg on October 18 during the Mumbai Indians’ match against the Kings XI Punjab in Dubai. He had missed the next four games and was ruled out of the whole Australia series. But after seeing him play in the last three MI games, the selectors decided to include him in the longest format of the game.

Giving a clarification on why Rohit isn’t included in the ODI and T20I squads, the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reckoned that Rohit is just 70% fit. Notably, Rohit had returned back to Mumbai after the IPL.

“Rohit is still 70 per cent [fit], why don’t you find out from Rohit himself? That is why he is still not picked for the ODIs and T20s Down Under. He has been added to the Test squad,” Ganguly said in an interview with The Week when asked about Sharma playing for his franchise not long after being left out of the India touring party for Australia on fitness grounds.

It is speculated that the opener will undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and will board the flight to join the Indian team ahead of the first Test in Adelaide, starting December 17, if he passes the fitness test.

People don’t understand injuries, that is why they talk rubbish: Sourav Ganguly

Apart from Rohit, wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha is also suffering from a hamstring injury. Saha has also been named only in the Test squad and is not a part of the limited-overs format. However, unlike Rohit, Saha has travelled with the Indian team to Australia.

Speaking about the same, Ganguly reckoned that there are proper trainers and physios who are closely monitoring the physical fitness of all the players. The former Indian captain further added that people don’t understand how the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) works and that’s why they talk rubbish.

“Who should know [about player injuries]? We know that the Indian physio knows, the NCA knows,” Ganguly said. “I think people don’t know how the BCCI works. The BCCI trainers, physio, and Wriddhi himself know that he has two hamstring issues. People don’t understand injuries, that is why they talk rubbish.

“Wriddhi is travelling to Australia because he will be fit for Tests. He is not part of the shorter formats. For the entire duration of the IPL, Indian physios and trainers were in Dubai. [India physio] Dr. Nitin Patel is managing injuries and monitoring it all,” Sourav Ganguly concluded.