India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak denied that there’s any sort of pressure on Rohit Sharma from the team management. The right-handed batter has failed to get going in the opening two ODIs against England, and on Thursday, an Indian Express report claimed that the selectors informed the former India captain that he’s no longer in the plans for the 2027 World Cup. The report further claimed that the 39-year-old might call time on his international career and play his last match for the Men in Blue on Sunday at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
In the second ODI in Cardiff, which India lost by four wickets, Rohit stayed 47 balls in the middle, scoring 26 runs. The experienced batter failed to rotate the strike and eventually fell to Will Jacks. Previously, he had scored just 11 runs in the opening ODI in Edgbaston.
To make matters worse for Rohit, the clamour is growing for Yashasvi Jaiswal, given that he scored a century in the last game for India but was still dropped from the squad for the ODI series against England.
Also Read: BCCI tells Rohit Sharma he’s not needed for World Cup 2027; Lord’s ODI likely to be his India swansong: Report
However, Kotak denied there was any pressure on Rohit, saying a big player like him could never feel it. He also backed the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain, saying it doesn’t matter if he didn’t score runs in the first two games against the Three Lions.
“See, I don’t think a big player like Rohit Sharma can have any sort of pressure. He’s too good a player to feel that. Yes, he didn’t get runs in the opening two matches, but I don’t think that makes any difference. But today, it also looked like he’d probably get a good inning out. But that’s okay,” Kotak told reporters in the post-match press conference.
The Indian support staff member also rejected the notion that Rohit was struggling in the second ODI, saying the batter didn’t get balls in his slot and hence his strike rate was not up to the mark.
“See, honestly, I have played a lot of cricket, and I have seen a lot of cricket. On a day, there are a lot of batters I have seen, they don’t get that momentum that they are looking for, and that can happen. You might see a completely different innings from Rohit Sharma at Lord’s,” said Kotak.
“So, I don’t, I wouldn’t use the word he was struggling, but, maybe the shots he normally plays on the up and all, which is because of the double bounce, probably he felt it was not comfortable and Shubman got a quick start, then Virat got a quick start, but, he didn’t get probably balls in his slot, or he didn’t get going. That’s what I felt. So, I wouldn’t say, because you could definitely see the completely different innings from a player like Rohit, and I think that I have seen that happening to a lot of batters. So, it’s not just Rohit, who, I wouldn’t use the word, he was struggling,” he added.
What did the report state?
The Indian Express report on Thursday claimed that Rohit was no longer in the scheme of things for the 2027 ODI World Cup, and the Ajit Agarkar-led committee left it up to the senior batter to take a call on his future.
The report further claimed that the committee wants to give opportunities to younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and hence informed Rohit of their decision last week. Rohit wasn’t pleased with the decision and also spoke to BCCI officials on the sidelines of the England series.
It is worth noting that the committee had removed Rohit as the ODI captain last year, replacing him with Shubman Gill.