Rohit Sharma will miss the ODIs, T20Is in Australia as he recovers from a hamstring injury and there are players who can take up the opener's slot.
Rohit Sharma's injury in IPL 2020 is a big blow for the Indian cricket team in Australia. Rohit Sharma has a wonderful record against Australia and his big-hitting is especially reserved for the five-time champions as he has hit the most sixes against him in the history of ODIs. Rohit Sharma has been vital in the Indian cricket team top-order and his partnership with Shikhar Dhawan has helped India establish a level of dominance against Australia where they have not lost only one series against them in the last three years. With the Indian cricket team beginning their tour on November 27, Rohit Sharma’s place is up for grabs.
There are some potential players who can take up the slot left vacant by Rohit Sharma’s injury. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have been in fine form in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab and they could slot back in. Virat Kohli is a modern-day legend and can fit anywhere in the top order. Sanju Samson, who is also part of the Indian cricket team, had a mixed time with Rajasthan Royals and he too could be used as an attacking option as India look to establish their dominance against Australia in ODIs and T20Is.
1. Mayank Agarwal
)
Rohit Sharma missed the ODI series against New Zealand earlier in 2020 and in his absence, Mayank Agarwal opened the innings for India. Agarwal did not have a memorable ODI debut as he ended the series with mere 36 runs to his name. The right-handed batsman impressed the fans with his IPL 2020 performance. He played a significant role in the little success that the Kings XI Punjab achieved this year as he registered his maiden IPL ton against the Rajasthan Royals. Agarwal has sealed his spot as a Test opener, and a consistent performance in the limited-overs series versus the Aussies could help him secure his place in the other formats as well. (Image credit: Twitter)
2. Virat Kohli
)
Virat Kohli is a legend in limited-overs cricket. But, can he open the innings? His numbers in T20s and ODIs are mixed. Virat Kohli often scores big when he gets a chance to open the innings in T20s, registering all of his five IPL tons while opening the innings. As an opener in IPL, Kohli has scored 2345 runs in 61 innings at a magnificent average of 47.86. His strike rate of 140.17 as an opening batsman is much better than his career strike rate. However, Virat Kohli has also opened the innings for India 13 times in white-ball cricket but has only amassed 198 runs in seven T20I innings, while in the six ODI innings he has managed 161 runs at an average of 26.83. (Image credit: Twitter)
3. KL Rahul
)
KL Rahul was the Orange Cap winner in IPL with over 600 runs and is the number one contender to open the innings for the Indian cricket team in all six limited-overs matches. The Kings XI Punjab skipper had his best IPL season in the United Arab Emirates. The wicket-keeper batsman was in the form of his life during the New Zealand tour earlier this year. Virat Kohli used him in the middle-order during the ODI series. However, it is unlikely that Rahul would bat in the middle-order again after his exploits in IPL 13 in the UAE. Apart from vice-captaincy and keeping, Rahul might be the opener India needs for stability in the absence of Rohit. (Image credit: Twitter)
4. Sanju Samson
)
Sanju Samson impressed everyone with his clean-hitting and played a couple of game-changing knocks for Rajasthan Royals. His batting in the powerplay overs puts him in a good position to open. Samson is yet to make his ODI debut. He has played four T20Is but has not impressed. The Australian tour will provide him a platform to prove himself at the international level. A decent performance against Australia could make him the number one candidate to don the gloves for India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. But, with KL Rahul in the side, he has to perform incredibly well. (image credit: BCCI Twitter)
5. Shubman Gill
)
Shubman Gill was one of the key players for the Kolkata Knight Riders and this has earned Gill another chance in the Indian squad. Shubman Gill opened the innings for the two-time IPL winners in the UAE. He was their most consistent batsman, scoring 440 runs in 14 innings at an average of 33.85. Shubman smacked three half-centuries this season for KKR and he has majorly played as an opener for them. Shubman Gill will likely make his return to the Indian ODI team during the Australia limited-overs series as India looks to expand their depth of talent in the batting. (Image credit: Twitter)
