India’s new white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma starts his full-time ODI tenure tomorrow as his team play the West Indies in their 1,000th one-day international, the first side ever to reach the milestone. The encounter at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad is the first of a three-match series but will be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was the captain of India in the 500th ODI,” India’s cricket chief Sourav Ganguly told Indian magazine Sportstar - a 2002 game against England in Chester-le-Street. “It is a big moment for Indian cricket, but unfortunately, the match will be played without a crowd.”
The hosts have been hit by the virus themselves with four players including Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad being isolated after testing positive. Mayank Agarwal has been added to the squad and will be a candidate to open the batting alongside Rohit, although vice-captain K L Rahul remains a possibility.
The 34-year-old Rohit, who took over the Twenty20 and then ODI captaincy from Virat Kohli, was ruled out of India’s tour of South Africa by a hamstring injury, when the visitors lost the Test series 2-1 and were whitewashed 3-0 in ODIs.
He is leading the one-day side in a year that will see the T20 World Cup in Australia, and is favourite to be named Test captain as well. India have home advantage but will face a tough challenge against the West Indies who are fresh from a 3-2 T20 triumph against England at home.
The once mighty West Indies, two-time ODI World Cup winners, celebrated the series win after their disastrous T20 World Cup defence and a shock 50-overs series loss to Ireland.
The ODIs will be followed by three T20 matches at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.