The former Indian Cricketer Aakash Chopra has gone on to say Rohit Sharma is ‘Selfish’ after putting his interests over the team’s during the defeat against Australia in Melbourne.
With clouds on his retirement looms around Rohit Sharma, he has been advised to drop himself from the 5th test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Along with the team management, decided to drop Shubman Gill from the side and demote KL Rahul to the No.3 spot.
The changes were made to help Rohit open for the side once again. However, the said changes backfires, with both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul failing to perform in Melbourne.
“For the first time in his career, he has taken a call for himself. In the past, calls have been taken for him. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli took calls for him to move him from middle-order to opener.
Dhoni did in ODIs, Virat did in Tests because they wanted Rohit to fire,” former India cricketer Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube show.
“For the first time, captain Rohit took a call and it was totally in his interests. It was not in the team’s interests. Let’s be very honest. It can’t be in the team’s interests because Rahul was opening very well.
Shubman Gill did well in 2023, he is the second-highest run-scorer. He has played in tough situations also. He was looking good in Adelaide too. But, he had to be dropped from the team,” he further said.
Several former cricketers Irfan Pathan and Sunil Gavaskar has suggested no to disturb KL Rahul-Jaiswal partnership combination but the skipper still decided to.
He also left Shubman Gill in the team despite the batter being one of the India’s top scorers this year.
“All this is because Rohit thought about himself, not in the best interests of the team. For the first time in his captaincy career. It didn’t turn out fine. India were not able to draw,” Chopra further said.
Chopra has also asked Rohit to consider dropping himself from the playing 11 against Australia in Sydney, in order to bring a more balanced Xl to the team sheet.
“In the team’s interest, will he sit out of the Sydney Test? I am not saying retirement, but dropping himself for the Sydney Test, saying ‘I am not able to contribute. Okay, let Rahul open the batting, let Shubman Gill bat at No. 3 and let’s play Nitish at No. 6’.”
“It will be a fair call to take. But, will he take it? If he doesn’t take it, I will tell you why cricketers don’t take such calls. Every cricketer believes the entire life must have taught him/her one thing: we can bounce back. We can turn it around. Maybe Rohit Sharma is thinking like that,” he added.
India must win the upcoming game to not only tie the series but also keep their WTC hopes alive. The first match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy will begin on January 03 at Sydney Cricket Ground.
