Team India could miss the services of captain Rohit Sharma for one of the first two Test matches in Australia due to personal reasons that have been informed to the BCCI. The Indian team will go to Australia for a strenuous five-match Test series that begins in Perth on November 22. Rohit is expected to miss the opening or second match (December 6–10) in Adelaide.

The situation isn’t completely clear. A BCCI source told the media that Rohit has intimated to the BCCI that he might have to skip one of the two Tests at the beginning of the series due to a pressing personal matter. In case the personal issue is sorted before the start of the series, he might play all five tests. We will get to know more in the coming days, he added.

Rohit led India in both of the home Test matches against Bangladesh. India will next host New Zealand in a three-match Test series, starting October 16. The in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is probably going to be Rohit’s backup if the 37-year-old opener misses a Test match in Australia. However, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also capable of filling the opening spot.

Easwaran will be in Australia to lead the India A team. Since there was no official replacement for Rohit during the most recent home series against Bangladesh, it is unknown who will serve as the Test team’s vice-captain. There are three players for the role: Rohit’s white ball deputy Gill, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who led India in a Test match against England, and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

I think we need to understand that we have a lot of IPL captains in this team. When you talk about the likes of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, hopefully a Yashasvi Jaiswal going forward. There are a lot of players who have led their franchises, Abhishek Nayar told the media.

I wouldn’t look at them as youngsters anymore. Yes, they are youngsters in terms of age and the amount of cricket they have played. But I think overall, mentally, and in their development as cricketers, I think they have the leadership qualities that are required. You don’t need to have a vice-captain that should be designated,” India’s batting coach replied when asked about the red-ball vice-captain. I think overall, the thought process of these youngsters is that of a senior player. It’s of someone who has played a lot of cricket, he concluded.