Nursing a toe injury, India opener Rohit Sharma today skipped the team’s training session and is likely to miss tomorrow’s Asia Cup T20 match against Sri Lanka, here.
His opening partner Shikhar Dhawan did train, so did skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had a knock during the two- and-a-half-hour net session at the BCB Academy in Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.
Rohit, who took a blow on the left toe off a yorker by Mohammed Amir, did not accompany the team for practice as he stayed back in his hotel room.
While he is lucky to have escaped fracture, it is highly unlikely that he will play tomorrow’s game against Sri Lanka, which might increase the soreness of his left toe.
With the World T20 starting in a week’s time, the team management will not risk Rohit, who is one of the key players in the top order.
Dhawan today hit the nets but did not have the usual sprightly strides that one normally associates with the Delhi left-hander. He took a few catches, did a bit of shadow batting and was the last one to come out to bat in fading light.
For a change, Parthiv Patel got to bat early in the net session right after Raina, Kohli and Rahane. It is still not clear as to who will be Rahane’s opening partner for tomorrow’s game.
It was also heartening to see Dhoni has a hit at the net session, which he had carefully avoided due to the back spasms.
Despite injuries, the mood in the camp looked upbeat as Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Team Director Ravi Shastri were seen enjoying a hearty laugh after the nets were over.
In fact yesterday, the Indian players were found spending a lovely evening at the Indian High Commissioner’s residence in Dhaka.
It was none other than Virat Kohli, who stole the show regaling the audience with the iconic romantic song ‘jo wada kiya woh nibhaana padegaa’. While melody was not something that all those present were looking for, Virat’s energy made everyone applaud the effort as there was no dearth of sincerity.
Suresh Raina sang the hit song ‘Tumse Milke’ from the film ‘Parinda’ – his voice sounding more like Kumar Shanu than Suresh Wadkar, who recorded the original song.