Rohit Sharma’s batting form has been up for debate for a long time. Ever since the right-handed batter was replaced by Shubman Gill as the captain of the ODI team, there have been rising speculations about his place in the playing XI. The right-handed batter recently returned to action in the first ODI against England. However, the 39-year-old could only score 11 runs despite his 21-ball stay at the crease. His scratchy knock was anything but what the fans are used to from Rohit in the last few years.
The former Indian skipper, who has been known for his aggressive intent batting at the top of the order, failed to go big in the power play. This led to speculations that the pressure on him from Gautam Gambhir to fight for his spot had led to a change in intent. Moreover, a recent report indicates that the Indian head coach has given Rohit a free hand to play in his usual style.
Rohit Sharma to be dropped from Indian team?
Despite having an excellent record in ODIs, Rohit Sharma could find himself on the sidelines as team selection may depend upon his age, consistency, as well as other aspects.
According to a recent report, it might even be open to the BCCI to omit this 39-year-old from the team if he ends up failing in the ongoing India-England series. As the veteran batsman was dismissed for a low score in this first game of the series, he will have no option other but to deliver top performances in the last two games to prove his value to the team management.
Gautam Gambhir gives Rohit Sharma the freedom to play natural game
The latest report from India Today quoted a source close to the team talking about Gambhir providing freedom to Rohit with respect to the style of playing. The source has been quoted saying, “Rohit has done a lot for this team and the country in white-ball cricket. The coach wants him to play the way he has throughout his career and express himself freely. The way Rohit Sharma has been batting under pressure, it seems clear that he needs a bit of time and mental space rather than constant scrutiny.”
India vs England ODI Series: Will Rohit Sharma play his final game for India?
With a failure in the opening game of the series, Rohit Sharma is undeniably under extreme pressure. With two games remaining in the series, Rohit would know a couple more failures could lead to him being dropped from the team and replaced by the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal. While the left-handed batter is not in India’s squad for the ongoing series, Jaiswal remains among the possible contenders for replacing Rohit at the top of the order.
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Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
