Former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar speculates that Rohit Sharma may quit as India’s captain if his batting woes continue in the final two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests against Australia.
While speaking on an international sports broadcast, Gavaskar expressed his belief that the Indian captain may take matters into his own hands if he fails to find form in the upcoming matches.
“I think Rohit will obviously get the opportunity to play in the next couple of matches, that’s for sure. But maybe at the end of it, if he hasn’t scored runs, my feeling is that he himself will take the call,” said Gavaskar.
The former batsman went on to highlight Rohit's conscientious nature.
“He’s a very conscientious cricketer; he will not want to be a burden on the team. He’s a cricketer who cares very deeply for Indian cricket. So if he doesn’t score runs in the next couple of games, I think he himself will step down,” he added.
Rohit, who has been a key figure for India in recent years, has had a challenging 2024 so far, scoring just 607 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 26.39.
This is significantly below his career average of 41.24, raising questions about his form and future in the side.
In a twist, the 37-year-old has not opened the innings during the series in Australia, opting to let KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal take the top-order roles. The duo played a key part in India’s dominant 295-run win in Perth.
After their success, the red-ball skipper acknowledged there was no need to change the successful pair and instead took up the No. 6 spot in the batting order, the same position he occupied when he started his Test career back in 2013.
It is pertinent to mention that the third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane ended in a draw after rain disrupted play, leaving the series locked at 1-1.
India had been set a challenging target of 275 for victory, but storms and bad light brought early tea on the final day, with India at 8-0 when the match ended.
- Rohit Sharma
- Sunil Gavaskar
