Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, has reportedly given Rohit Sharma the green signal to shed all pressure and express himself freely and bat the way he has throughout his career. This comes after Rohit’s poor form continued in the first ODI between India and England in Birmingham.
Chasing a 259-run target, Rohit Sharma had a slow start for India and was dismissed for 11 runs in 21 balls, getting caught by Harry Brook off Sam Curran’s delivery. This meant that Rohit Sharma has scored only one fifty in his last seven ODI matches.
India Today reported that as per sources, Gambhir's message to Rohit has been clear: the former captain of India has already made a significant contribution to Indian cricket and should be free to express himself without worrying about his future.
“Rohit has done a lot for this team and the country in white-ball cricket. The coach wants him to play the way he has throughout his career and express himself freely. The way Rohit Sharma has been batting under pressure, it seems clear that he needs a bit of time and mental space rather than constant scrutiny.
Players of his caliber often perform at their best when they are free from external pressure and allowed to trust their natural instincts. Instead of overanalyzing every innings, it is important to back someone who has consistently delivered for India over the years. A relaxed and confident Rohit Sharma is capable of changing games on his own, and sometimes faith and patience are just as important as technical adjustments,” sources said as per India Today.
There was a belief that Rohit, who is currently 39 and would be 41 when the 2027 World Cup takes place, would not be able to handle the demands of batting in South Africa.
The former captain, who only plays ODIs for India, has put a lot of effort into improving his fitness. Rohit has amassed 563 runs at an average of 46.91 with one hundred and four fifties in 13 ODI games while playing under Shubman Gill’s captaincy.
The Indian team believes that Rohit will be able to play his best cricket if he has total mental freedom. The management is completely focused on the moment and maximizing the impact of one of India's most skilled white-ball batters, rather than long-term plans or career speculation. The present strategy is unrelated to any conversations over Rohit's future, according to sources.
“Nobody knows what the future holds. The focus right now is on the present. The team management wants Rohit to have complete peace of mind so that he can give his best whenever he plays,” the source added.
Rohit Sharma has scored 11,731 runs in 286 ODIs at an average of 48.68, including 33 centuries and a world-record score of 264. He is also the only batter in men’s ODI cricket to have registered three double hundreds.
The current Indian team management's foremost aim is to protect Rohit from needless scrutiny and give him the freedom to follow his instincts, which has worked so effectively for him throughout his career.
Rohit will now want to have a greater effect when India plays England in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday, July 16.
(India Today inputs)
