Santosh had suffered a nasty crash at the Desert Storm in February and has been advised more rest before he starts riding again. The team will be led by ace Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodrigues.
"I am healing well and working towards getting fit for the Merzouga Rally in May. It is really disappointing to sit this one out, but I am confident that with JRod leading Hero MotoSports Team Rally, we will achieve a good result here," Santosh said.
India BAJA will be held from April 7-9 in the expansive Thar Desert of Jaisalmer in the state of Rajasthan. This edition of India BAJA is a part of the Dakar Challenge events which means that the winner of India BAJA gets a free entry into Merzouga Rally in Morocco in the month of May and also an opportunity to participate in Dakar 2018.
Rodrigues said, "I am really excited to start the new season and working with the Hero MotoSports Team Rally to get ready for the India BAJA and the Merzouga Rally. It is really cool to start working again with the team and kick off our season leading up to the Dakar 2018."
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