Rohit Sharma to join India tour in Australia

Key batsman Rohit Sharma has recovered from a hamstring injury and been cleared to join India’s tour in Australia, the national board said in an AFP report..

Media reports, cited by AFP, said the 33-year-old will fly to Australia on Sunday to start the two weeks of quarantine that will see him miss the first two of the four Tests that start December 17 in Adelaide.

Sharma “completed his rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and is now clinically fit,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement, cited by AFP.

The Mumbai Indians captain has been at the national center since Nov. 19 after suffering a left hamstring injury during the Indian Premier League.

He had been given a detailed program to follow during the two weeks he will be quarantined for in Australia, the statement said.

Doctors will check Sharma’s fitness again after the quarantine and make a call on his participation in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia are just ahead of India in the world rankings and the Adelaide game will be the visitors’ first day-night five-day game on foreign soil.

India’s batting will already be weakened by captain Virat Kohli leaving the tour after the first Test to return to India for the birth of his first child.

There have also been calls from some veterans for India’s skipper in all three formats to hand over some of his captaincy duties permanently — including to Sharma.

Sharma led the Mumbai Indians to a fifth IPL title last month — something that has eluded Kohli in the 13 editions of the tournament — prompting calls for him to take over the captaincy of the national T20 side.