Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to make comeback in Tests? Rohit Sharma drops massive hint

India captain Rohit Sharma dropped a massive on return of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in the Test setup ahead of the first Test against England. He said that doors are not closed for anyone and players can make a comeback if they score runs in the domestic circuit.

India will be locking horns with England in the five-match Test series. The first game will take place on January (25th) at the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad. The hosts will be without the services of Virat Kohli for the first two games. The batter pulled out because of the personal reasons.

The team announced Rajat Patidar as Virat Kohli’s replacement for the two games. There were reports that suggested that team management even discussed the names of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane for replacement because they needed experience in the XI. But they ultimately went with a young batter, who has been impressive in domestic cricket.

Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the team after the ICC World Test Championship Final. At the same time, Ajinkya Rahane got dropped after the West Indies tour. The duo has been incredible servants of the Indian team but their recent form didn’t do justice to their name and place in the team.

The BCCI decided to drop them and play youngsters in the team. With Virat Kohli not being there was a slight chance of their comeback. Even captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the first Test admitted they looked at experienced players as the replacement but emphasized the need to give opportunities to youngsters and prepare them for the future.

Rohit Sharma admitted that not picking experienced players in the team is a hard call for them because of what they have done for Indian cricket. He highlighted their contributions and stated:

“Leaving out an experienced player or not considering them is very hard. The amount of runs they’ve scored, the kind of experience they ve had, the amount of games they have won for us, you know, it’s very hard to ignore all of that,” Rohit Shamra told reporters.

The doors are closed for anyone – Rohit Sharma

Both Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are currently playing in the Ranji Trophy. While the former has been scoring runs consistently, the Mumbai batter is struggling to get going. But if they end the season on high with some runs under their belt, they might be in contention to make a comeback.

Rohit Sharma dropped a massive hint about the chances of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane making a comeback. He said that doors are not closed for anyone. He stressed that as long as they stay fit and score runs, they will be welcomed back into setup. He added:

“By no means, the doors are closed for anyone, you know, as long as they stay fit and keep scoring runs. Anyone will be welcomed back into the setup.”

Rohit Sharma will be captaining the team in the team in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Apart from his leadership skills, a lot of would be dependent on him with the bat as well. With no Virat Kohli, he will be having added responsibility as a batter in the first two games.