India captain Rohit Sharma has shown signs of getting back to peak form with a hundred during the England ODI series and a quickfire 41 run knock against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy opener for India. Notably, the Indian captain has been plagued by a lack of runs in the last few months with the peak being seen in Australia during the Border Gavaskar Trophy where Rohit had to drop himself from the playing XI due to poor form.
However, there are still doubts on if Rohit is back to full form with some former cricketers suggesting that the veteran batter hasn’t spent enough time on crease and two good innings do not suddenly spring the player into good form.
For instance, former India opener Akash Chopra opined during a video on his YouTube channel that Rohit is going too hard too early, which is making the Indian team lag later on. He said, “Rohit batted well during his time at the crease. I may sound repetitive, but when he goes too hard too early, the team tends to lag when he gets out. We can’t settle for just 40 runs from someone who’s capable of scoring a hundred,”
Yuvraj Singh backs Rohit Sharma:
Despite the criticism of his form, Rohit has received some much-needed support from former teammate Yuvraj Singh ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Speaking to JioHotstar, Singh said that if Rohit is scoring runs while struggling that’s an even more dangerous thing for the opposition. He said, “Rohit Sharma, whether in form or out of form, it doesn’t matter to me. I would always back my match-winners. In ODI cricket, especially in white-ball formats, he has been India’s biggest match-winner as a batsman, alongside Virat Kohli. If Rohit is struggling but still gets runs, that’s dangerous for the opposition,”
“If he’s in form, he will score a century in 60 balls. That’s his quality—once he gets going, he’s not just hitting fours; he’s clearing the ropes with sixes. He is also one of the best players of the short ball. Even if someone bowls at 145-150 kmph, Rohit has the ability to hook it effortlessly. His strike rate is always between 120-140, and on his day, he can single-handedly win you the game” the former cricketer added.
Rohit Sharma’s record against Pakistan:
The Indian captain boasts a stellar record against Pakistan, scoring 873 runs in the 19 ODIs so far at an average of 51.35 and a strike rate of 92.38. Rohit has amassed two centuries and eight half-centuries against the neighbours with a best score of 140.
Moreover, Rohit has a history of performing at ICC 50 over events. During the 2019 ODI World Cup, Rohit scored 648 runs at an average of 81 which included 5 centuries and a half century. In the last ODI World Cup in 2023, Rohit was again among the runs with 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of 131 with a century and three half-centuries to his name.
