Indian ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma is poised to achieve a notable milestone in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home. He has a chance to surpass Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir on the prestigious list of Indian Test batters.
Currently on a break from international cricket, Rohit Sharma last played during the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month. He will return to action for the Test series against Bangladesh, beginning on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The second Test will be held at Green Park in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
The series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. India aims to secure a series win to maintain their leading position in the WTC standings. This will be the first Test series with Rohit Sharma as captain and Gautam Gambhir as head coach. India reached the finals in the first two WTC editions but did not win the title.
Rohit Sharma On the Verge of Overtaking Gautam Gambhir in Elite List
Rohit Sharma is just 18 runs away from overtaking Gautam Gambhir on the list of Indian Test batsmen with the most runs. Sharma has accumulated 4,137 runs from 59 Tests at an average of 45.47, with 12 centuries. Gambhir retired with 4,154 runs in 58 Tests at an average of 41.96, including nine centuries.
Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 15,921 runs from 200 Tests. Rahul Dravid is second with 13,265 runs, followed by Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, and VVS Laxman, who scored 10,122, 8,848, and 8,781 runs, respectively.
India’s busy Test season begins with the series against Bangladesh. The team will then host New Zealand for three Tests in October and later travel to Australia for a challenging five-match series. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a significant overseas test for Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma Not Included In Duleep Trophy 2024 Squads
The opener will not take part in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, alongside Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
The domestic tournament will begin on September 5 in Bengaluru. The selection committee has picked experienced players and emerging talent for the red-ball tournament.
The 37-year-old batter is the second-highest run-scorer for India in the ongoing World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Sharma has scored 700 runs from nine Tests, including three centuries and three half-centuries.
Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal leads the batting charts with 1,028 runs from nine matches.
