India’s top batsman, Rohit Sharma, has been ruled out of the three-match ODI and Test series against New Zealand, reports said. Though there is no official word from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yet, PTI reported that Sharma -- who suffered a calf injury during the final T20I against New Zealand on Sunday -- is likely to be out of the tour. He may be replaced by Mayank Agarwal.
Sharma injured his calf muscle on the fifth T20 international played between India and News Zealand on Sunday. He retired hurt after scoring 60 runs and did not take the field thereafter. India beat New Zealand in the match by seven runs to complete a 5-0 whitewash.
India is set to play three ODIs, starting Wednesday, and two Tests after that, said the PTI report.
Sharma’s injury has come at an inopportune time for both India and the player, as it was supposed to be his first Test series as an opener outside India. He had scored 140 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 150.53, including two half-centuries, in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand.