Rohit Sharma: "It's certainly on my mind to get Kuldeep, Chahal back together"

India's white-ball captain stressed that Kuldeep would need to be given time to get back into his groove following his return from knee surgery.

India’s Yuzvendra Chahal (left) and Kuldeep Yadav are in the squad for the West Indies ODIs.

Taking over the reins from Virat Kohli, India’s new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma wants to keep things simple and give a clear idea to the players about their roles and responsibilities in the team.

After missing out on the tour of South Africa due to injury, Rohit’s new journey begins on Sunday when India takes on the West Indies for the first fixture, which is also the team’s 1000th ODI.

“When Virat was the captain, I was the vice-captain. I have to take it from where he left. The team knows what is expected out of them. We want to continue with the same template. It is important that guys understand the responsibilities. This is what I will focus on, giving them the clarity on what is expected out of them,” Rohit said on Saturday.

“There is not much we need to change. We are a good team. We have good players. It is just that adaptability and being open to different things is what we have spoken of. It is not like I have to come in and change things drastically.”

The series against the West Indies will also see the return of spinner Kuldeep Yadav. After a long injury lay-off, Kuldeep is expected to reunite with his old bowling partner Yuzvendra Chahal.

“Kuldeep and Chahal have been great performers for us in the past and they have created an impact in those years whenever they have played together. They were left out because of the combination. It is certainly on my mind to get them back together, Kuldeep especially,” Rohit said.

 

“We want to get Kuldeep in slowly. We do not want him to be rushed. It is important to give him some time to get into his groove. We do not want to put him in a situation where we are asking too much from him. I think for us, it is important that we handle the situation carefully. Both these players are important. Chahal played in South Africa, and Kuldeep has just gotten back into the squad. Kuldeep needs to play a lot of games to get his rhythm back, and we understand that” he added.

After a meteoric rise in the international arena, Kuldeep had a slump, which saw him getting dropped from the side. Even though Kuldeep played last year’s home series against England, he looked off-colour and later had to miss out on the season following knee surgery last October.