Rohit Sharma and Navdeep Saini ruled out of second Test against Bangladesh
Mirpur, Dec 20: India skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the second Test against Bangladesh, starting here on Thursday, as he has not made a full recovery from a thumb injury.
Rohit had flown back to India to see a specialist after injuring his left thumb while fielding in the second ODI against Bangladesh here on December 7.
He is under the care of the BCCI medical team following his left thumb injury, which he sustained during the second ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Pacer Naveep Saini, who had made a comeback into the Test team, is also out of the game with an abdominal muscle strain.
"The medical team is of the opinion that the injury needs some more time to heal completely before the Indian captain can bat and field with full intensity. He will continue his rehab and will not be available for the second and final Test against Bangladesh.
"Navdeep Saini is also ruled out of the second Test owing to an abdominal muscle strain. The fast bowler will now report to the NCA for further management of his injury," said the BCCI in a statement.
It is understandable why the management did not want to risk playing Rohit. India have a busy home season lined up with Sri Lanka and New Zealand visiting for a limited overs tour next month and that will be followed by the high-profile Test series against Australia.
Saini's injury does raise a few questions on his fitness. He represented India A in the two games in Bangladesh ahead of the Tests and was deemed fit. He did not play the first Test, though.
Saini's last Test appearance came in Brisbane in January last year when India pulled off a win for the ages.
K L Rahul will continue to lead the side in Rohit's absence with Cheteshwar Pujara being his deputy. India lead the two-Test series 1-0 after a convincing win in Chattogram.
India's updated squad for 2nd Test against Bangladesh: KL Rahul (C), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Saurabh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat.
NEWS - Rohit Sharma and Navdeep Saini ruled out of second Test against Bangladesh.
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 20, 2022
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Andhra CM promises housing for all poor by 2029
Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said his government will ensure housing for all the poor before 2029 and allocate housing plots for those who do not own land.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister urged eligible beneficiaries who have not received a house to apply, assuring that both the central and state governments would take the responsibility for providing housing to all.
“We will not only build houses for all the poor before 2029 but also provide housing plots to landless people,” said Naidu, adding that the government intends to build houses for all the poor.
Noting that the state government aims to allot housing plots to all before 2029, Naidu said it will build apartments if housing plots were not available.
Ahead of Ugadi festival in 2026, the CM said the government will organise three lakh house warming ceremonies under welfare housing, vowing to organise 10 lakh such events within 2026.
On agriculture, Naidu said the southern state accounts for 10 percent of agricultural production at the national level.
He outlined a five-pronged approach of water security, demand-driven crops, food processing, marketing and government support to develop agriculture.
In fiscal 2025 – 26, the CM said Rs 13,772 crore has been earmarked for free power to agriculture, and a financial aid of Rs 20,000 per annum is being given to farmers under Annadata Sukhibava welfare scheme.
According to him, only Rs 7,500 was given to farmers during the previous YSRCP regime. He highlighted that the TDP-led NDA government is offering more than double that amount.
The TDP supremo also announced plans to expand AI agronomist and farm mechanisation services on a large-scale.
Noting that Rs 14,230 crore investments have flowed into the food processing sector, Naidu said the government is concentrating on this front.
Observing that 15 lakh acres are under natural farming in 8,168 villages, he said the target is to expand it to 50 lakh acres.
Besides setting up a large cocoa city near Eluru, he said the government will provide power at Rs 1.5 per unit to aquaculture, among other initiatives.
Assuring continued support, Naidu said his government would stand by farmers in all circumstances and also extend assistance to tenant farmers.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister N Rama Naidu informed the House that water would be supplied up to Anakapalli by June 2026 through Polavaram left main canal.
He also said that the government has allocated Rs 600 crore in FY27 budget for Sujala Sravanti project in North Andhra.
The House was later adjourned till Wednesday, March 4.
