New Delhi: Opener K.L. Rahul will lead India in the first of two Test matches against Bangladesh in absence of Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out of the opening match due to his left thumb injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Sunday.
Rohit suffered a thumb injury during the second ODI against Bangladesh on Wednesday. He missed the third ODI, flew to Mumbai to meet a specialist and has been advised appropriate management for this injury.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Abhimanyu Easwaran as Rohit's replacement for the first Test while Cheteshwar Pujara has been named as the vice-captain.
''India captain Rohit Sharma met with a specialist in Mumbai for his left thumb injury, which he sustained during the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh. He has been advised appropriate management for this injury and will not be available for the first Test against Bangladesh,'' the BCCI said in a media release.
"The BCCI Medical Team will take a call on his availability for the second and final Test at a later stage. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Abhimanyu Easwaran as his replacement for the first Test," it added.
The board also stated that Mohd. Shami and Ravindra Jadeja are yet to fully recover from their respective shoulder and knee injuries and are ruled out of the Test series.
"Fast bowler Mohd. Shami and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are yet to fully recover from their respective shoulder and knee injuries and are ruled out of the Test series. The selectors have named Navdeep Saini and Saurabh Kumar as replacements for Shami and Jadeja respectively," it said.
