Rohit Sharma’s poor run of form continued as he fell for a single-digit score in India’s first ODI against England at the VCA Stadium, Nagpur on Thursday (February 6).

The Indian captain came into the ODI series on the back of a disappointing Test tour of Australia, where he amassed only 31 runs in five innings at an abysmal average of 6.20.

With growing speculations on his future, Rohit scored 2 off 7 balls in the ODI series opener against England. He tried to flick a delivery from Saqib Mahmood off his pads, only to top edge the ball straight into the hands of Liam Livingstone.

Rohit's scores during the 2024/25 season across formats read 6, 5, 23, 8, 2, 52, 0, 8, 18, 11, 3, 6, 10, 3, 9 and 2, with a sum total of 166 runs from 16 innings at a terrible average of 10.37.

Ahead of the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday (February 9), former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has urged Rohit Sharma to avoid overcomplicating things amid a concerning dip in form.

Bangar reckons Rohit should refrain from overanalyzing his technique or indulging in excessive practice sessions. Instead, he wants the Indian skipper to reflect on his past successes to rediscover his rhythm.

“A phase has come in his career where he hasn't scored runs. Sometimes practicing too much isn't beneficial. He can probably spend a little time alone and watch the phase where he enjoyed a lot of success. Watch some videos and figure out what his habits and routines were,” Bangar said while speaking on Star Sports.

"Sometimes all those things prove hugely beneficial if you have to regain your rhythm. You have to remind yourself what works for you. He shouldn't be too desperate in his thinking," he added.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma 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?" he 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."

India will open their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

(With IANS Inputs)