Kohli: 'Rohit left out of WI tour because he needs rest'

"Rohit has come back and had a hectic IPL season; his team reached the final, so he got less rest than anyone else," said Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli shared a match-winning 178-run stand against Bangladesh.

Rohit Sharma was left out of the Indian team for the West Indies tour because he needed rest, Virat Kohli said here on Thursday.

"Rohit has come back and had a hectic IPL (Indian Premier League) season; his team reached the final, so he got less rest than anyone else. But he also had a massive hip surgery, so muscles around that area are always vulnerable. Even today, he felt a bit of stiffness in his right knee, and we decided the smart thing to do was to rest him. There's no doubt about Rohit's ability and what he brings to the team."

"We need to protect him going further because we have massive tours coming up. So we want him to be careful because after a massive surgery you do need to be careful. If you push yourself a little too hard then it snaps again and you're out for seven, eight months. I think it's a conscious decision by everyone to give him a break. He's making the most of the form he's in right now, and I'm sure he also knows and understands the whole situation."