RAJKOT: Many cricketers have been forced to miss the third and final match of the series at the SCA Stadium here on Wednesday due to "illness" and "personal reasons". On the eve of the clash, skipper Rohit Sharma stunned everyone when he said that India only had "13 players" available for the last match.
"We have got a lot of players who are sick an d not available, a lot of players have personal problems, so they have gone home and a few of the guys have been rested as well. We have got 13 players at this point in time," Rohit said here on Tuesday ahead of the team's optional training session.
"(Shubman) Gill is rested, (Mohammed) Shami, Hardik (Pandya), Shardul (Thakur) have all gone home for personal things and Axar is not available for this game. We only have 13 players to choose from and there is a viral fever going on in the team, so there is a lot of uncertainty in the side at this point in time which we cannot help. Looking at the next few weeks, it's important for us to look after the players and their well-being. It's okay for these players to be home now so they come back fresh for the World Cup," Rohit said.
Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who featured in the first two games, and seamer Mukesh Kumar, who was with the team in Indore, have left for the Hangzhou Asian Games. However, with Rohit, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav all having joined the team here, sources in the BCCI ruled out sending any reinforcements. On the eve of the game, four Saurashtra players, preparing for the Irani Cup, were seen undergoing fielding drills with the Indian team.
