Before the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicked off, no one had expected that the captain of India team, Rohit Sharma would sit out from the playing XI of the side. But considering his recent performance, the captain chose to “stand down” from the ongoing Test, a Test which has now entered in an exciting mood.
Many thought it may now lead to a “retirement decision” but Sharma recently said he just wanted to not play the last Test series of the series.
“This decision is not a retirement decision, “Nor am I going to take myself out of the game”, he told Star Sports during the lunch break on day two of the Sydney Test
Rohit did not play the first Test of the series because of paternity leave. After joining the squad, the runs did not come from his bat and as a result he decided to not feature in the last Test of the series.
“I sat out of this match because runs were not coming off my bat. There is no guarantee runs won’t come five or two months down the line. I have seen a lot in cricket that life changes every second, every minute, every day”
“I have confidence in myself that things can change, but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. So life won’t change by what people with a mic, pen or laptop write or say. They can’t decide when we should retire, when we should sit out, or when we should captain. I am a sensible man, mature man, father of two kids. So I know what I need in life.”
Rohit had both tried opening and middle-order spots but nothing worked out for the India’s captain.
“I made this decision after coming here [to Sydney],” Rohit said. “We had only two days between the matches. On New Year’s, I didn’t want to have this chat with the selector and the coach. But it was in my mind that I am trying my best but I am not getting the runs. I have to accept it and have to get myself out of the way.
“The chat that I had with the coach and the selector was very simple: my bat is not scoring runs, I am not in form, this is an important match, and we need players who are in form.”
Rohit’s recent form has been a worrying trend, with a dismal average of 13.30 across ten innings against Bangladesh and New Zealand in the 2023-24 home season. Moreover, his captaincy stint was marred by a disappointing 3-0 series loss to New Zealand, marking India’s first home-series defeat in over a decade.
“It was a difficult decision for me, but if you keep everything in mind, this was a sensible decision,” he said. “I am not thinking too far. Right now, what does the team need? That is what I was thinking. Nothing else.”
