NEW DELHI: Nobody knows what’s going on in the mind of India’s captain Rohit Sharma. He has taken T20Is off his schedule, the BCCI has already announced him as the captain for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy, and there’s a growing call for his head in Test cricket after a poor run as batter and skipper since the start of home season. If at all he is thinking about full or partial international retirement, what is the right time?
Of course, it’s only Rohit’s call because it’s about him, about his career, about his connection with the sport that has made him what he is today to millions of cricket fans around the world.In a soliloquy, Rohit must be saying: “I never thought 2024 would end that way, especially after the high of T20 World Cup win. Where did it all go wrong?”
The fact that Rohit held Ravichandran Ashwin back for a Test from announcing retirement is evidently because he still saw a role for him in the team. Does he see the same for himself — in Tests, ODIs or both? Again, only Rohit knows that.
And if he wants to quit international cricket altogether, will the conclusion of the Champions Trophy be the best time? Or will he take a cue from Ashwin’s decision and listen to his heart more than anything else?
It’s going to be difficult being Rohit Sharma in 2025.
In retrospect, perhaps things would have panned out differently had India’s pride not been damaged by the whitewash at home against New Zealand. Or maybe if Rohit had decided to open batting right after joining the team from the second Test in Australia and strung together a couple of confidence-building knocks.
Instead, he found himself in the ‘middle’ of nowhere.
Hindsight also suggests Jasprit Bumrah could have been asked to lead again in Melbourne, especially after India had their backs to the wall during the defeat in Adelaide and the fighting draw in Brisbane.
Bumrah has been high on confidence both as a bowler and a leader, plus the load of captaincy would have been off Rohit’s shoulders and he could have focused only on getting back among the runs, as an opener or lower down the order.
From the outside, it’s perplexing what role chief coach Gautam Gambhir is playing in trying to help Rohit sort himself out. Of course, Rohit is mature enough to take tough calls, which he showed for two Tests when he allowed KL Rahul to continue opening.
But could, or did, Gambhir step up and suggest to the skipper that ‘there’s no harm in Bumrah leading again in Melbourne while you put all your energy into batting’.
These are things only someone who is part of the team can tell, but there’s no doubt that Rohit is currently being seen as the elephant in the room, unless he has already taken a decision and is just waiting for the Australia tour to get over.
Imagine being Rohit Sharma in 2025.
