Team India Responds To Rohit Sharma Under Pressure Claim Amid Retirement Rumours
Rohit Sharma is said to be under pressure, with a report suggesting that he has been told that the 3rd ODI against England will be his last for the Indian team.
- Rohit Sharma was reportedly told by BCCI selectors he may not fit 2027 World Cup plans
- Selectors prefer giving Yashasvi Jaiswal opportunities over Rohit Sharma in ODI cricket
- India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak denied pressuring Rohit Sharma about his situation
As Rohit Sharma failed to fire again with the bat in the second ODI of the three-match series against England, news of the opening batter being given an 'ultimatum' by the BCCI selection committee to 'move on' after the end of the ongoing series set the cricket world abuzz. It has been claimed that the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has told Rohit that he does not fit into the Indian team's plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Consequently, the management wants to give Yashasvi Jaiswal opportunities in his place.
While the board or the selectors cannot decide when a player retires, there is said to be pressure on Rohit, since the selectors have reportedly made their wish to go forward with Yashasvi Jaiswal clear. However, India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, has denied putting such pressure on the veteran batter.
Speaking at the press conference after Team India's defeat to England in the second ODI in Cardiff, Kotak said that while it is true that Rohit has not got runs in the first couple of matches, he is too good a player to be put under pressure over his future.
"See, I don't think a big player like Rohit Sharma can have any sort of pressure. He's too good a player to feel that. Yes, he didn't get runs in the opening two matches, but I don't think that makes any difference. But today, it also looked like he'd probably get a good innings going. But that's okay," Kotak told the media in the post-match press conference.
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Kotak continued to play down the chatter around Rohit being under pressure to secure his future in ODI cricket.
"See, honestly, I have played a lot of cricket, and I have seen a lot of cricket. On any given day, there are a lot of batters I have seen who don't get the momentum that they are looking for, and that can happen. You might see a completely different innings from Rohit Sharma at Lord's," said Kotak.
As for Rohit's form, Kotak does not think the former captain is struggling in England but was not comfortable seeing others like Shubman Gill get off to a quick start.
"So, I wouldn't use the word 'struggling', but, maybe the shots he normally plays on the up and all, because of the double bounce, probably he felt it was not comfortable. Shubman got a quick start, then Virat got a quick start, but he didn't get balls in his slot, or he didn't get going. That's what I felt. So, I wouldn't say that, because you could definitely see a completely different innings from a player like Rohit, and I think that I have seen that happening to a lot of batters. So, it's not just Rohit; I wouldn't use the word 'struggling'," he added.
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Rohit Sharma