Rohit Sharma managed just 61 runs in three ODI innings against New Zealand.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that the team's defeat in the third and final ODI against New Zealand was due to a lack of runs from Indian captain Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Rohit Sharma.
He notably mentioned that Sharma needed to score runs, especially in the most recent encounter. Sharma, Gill, and Iyer performed poorly in the third One-Day International against New Zealand in Indore on Sunday. Sharma was out for 11, Gill scored 23, and Iyer was dismissed for three runs.
“Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Rohit Sharma not playing big knocks—I think that has let the team down. Rohit Sharma, there is no problem with him, but runs were required here. Runs were required in the last match," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Virat Kohli played a valiant knock of 124 runs, holding one end up, adding vital partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy (53) and Harshit Rana (52). However, their efforts fell short as India was bundled out for 296 runs in the chase of 337 runs and lost the game by 41 runs.
Aakash Chopra also highlighted Rohit Sharma’s struggles for runs in all three ODIs against the Kiwis and pointed out how he got out in all three games, going for aerial shots. Sharma accumulated only 61 runs in three innings at an average of 20.33 and failed to score a half-century in the series.
“It wasn’t going to happen without him because two of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill had to score runs. Kohli was standing alone, but Rohit got out. He got out in all three matches. He got out playing shots in the air all three times," he added.
Rohit Sharma had done well in the previous two ODI series against Australia and South Africa and has received support from captain Shubman Gill.
“I think Rohit Sharma is in terrific form, even right through from the Australia series, even in the South Africa series. I think, as I said, you won’t always be able to convert the stars that you get. And I think Rohit got some starts in this New Zealand series as well. As a batsman, you always want to convert those starts and always want to make it count and make it into hundreds. But it’s not possible to do it every time. But at the same time, that’s something that you always strive to do," Gill said in the post-match press conference.