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Rohit Sharma has revealed the behind-the-scenes drama of his surprising decision to withdraw from the crucial Sydney Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
The Indian skipper made the revelation during a conversation with former Australian captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, explaining that the choice was driven by team interest rather than personal form.
Internal Disagreements: Contrasting Opinions With Gambhir, Agarkar
Before the Sydney Test, Rohit had a conversation with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar to inform them about his decision.
While both listened, they did not immediately agree. According to Rohit, “There was an argument around it. You try and put the team first and just look at what the team wants and make the decision accordingly. Sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not.”
He admitted that his own form had dipped significantly, scoring just 164 runs in 15 innings at an average of 10.83 across the series — a rare lean patch for the opener.
“In the last Test match in Sydney, I had to be honest with myself. I was not hitting the ball well. And I didn’t want to put myself there only because we had a lot of the other guys who were struggling as well,” he said.
Making Way for Shubman Gill
Rohit explained that he felt stepping aside would allow a promising young batter to step in at a key moment.
“We wanted Gill to play. He is such a good player. He missed out in the previous Test,” Rohit said. “I was like, ‘Okay, if I’m not hitting the ball well, it’s right now.’ Things can change ten days later, five days later.”
The decision to let Shubman Gill take his place was not an easy one, especially with differing opinions from the team management. But for Rohit, it boiled down to what was best for the team.
Captaincy Mindset: Team Before Self
Since taking over as captain, Rohit shared that his leadership approach has been centered around a collective mindset where the team comes before individual statistics.
“Every decision you try and make, you are not guaranteed success,” he said.
“Since I started captaining the national team, not just me, I wanted the rest of the guys also to think alike – try and put the team first and do what’s necessary for the team and not worry too much about ‘my runs, my scores,’ and stuff like that.”
Rohit’s candid admission sheds light on the pressures of leadership and the kind of difficult choices that come with it — even if it means benching yourself in a series-deciding Test.
