Legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is sympathetic towards the struggling Rohit Sharma, but he also sees logic in questioning the extended lean patch of the India captain.
Notably, Rohit was left miffed on the eve of the first ODI against England when a journalist asked whether he was feeling more comfortable after returning to white-ball fold after enduring tough time in the longest format.
"What sort of a question is that?" an irritated Rohit asked before going on to add, "This is a different format, different time. As usual, as cricketers, we know there will be ups and downs. I have faced that a lot in my career. This is nothing new to me. We know that every day is fresh, and every series is a new one. I am looking forward to the challenge. Not looking at the past. Clearly, you don't. So I don't have any reason to look at the past."
Rohit also lost his cool when another reporter asked whether the reports about the BCCI asking for clarity about his future after the Champions Trophy were true.
"How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans sitting here where there are three ODIs and a Champions Trophy coming in?" the skipper responded. "The reports are going on for a number of years but I am not here to clarify those reports. My focus is on these games, we will see what happens afterwards."
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said people will ask questions and the only way to avoid such questions is by performing well.
"This is not easy. If you look at it from Rohit's POV, then obviously, it is frustrating for him. He wants to concentrate on the series. He thinks that I've done well in this format, and I'd like to continue. I'm going into the tournament with a lot of confidence on the back of the one-day tournaments that I've played. But people will ask questions. The ones who are watching will obviously ask. It's a catch-22 situation. You can't stop these questions. When will they stop? When he performs," Ashwin stated.
Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 2 off 7 balls in the first ODI in Nagpur. In five innings of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he managed a paltry 31 runs, with a best of 10.
Ashwin said that he will pray for Rohit to score a century in the remaining two matches of the three-ODI series.
"But as a cricketer, I understand what Rohit is going through. It's not easy. I pray that he does well and scores a century in this series," he added.
Having won the first ODI in Nagpur by four wickets, India are leading the series 1-0. The second ODI will be held in Cuttack on Sunday (February 9).
