Team India opening batter Rohit Sharma opened up about his decision to drop himself from the fifth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Sydney. The right-handed batter said that he wasn’t performing well with the bat and added that the team was keen on giving Shubman Gill a chance to play.
Rohit Sharma had a disappointing outing throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. After five poor innings, the 37-year-old chose to drop himself from the final Test of the series in Sydney. The Men in Blue lost the five-match series 3-1, and Rohit then played for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy.
I Was Not Hitting the Ball Well – Rohit Sharma
Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Rohit Sharma revealed that he wanted to give Shubman Gill an opportunity to play, especially after he missed out on the previous match.
“In the last Test match in Sydney, I had to be honest with myself. I was not hitting the ball well. And I didn’t want to put myself there only because we had a lot of the other guys who were struggling as well. When you add yourself in there, it just becomes a little more… And we wanted Gill to play. He is such a good player. He missed out in the previous Test,” Rohit told Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
I Spoke to the Coach and the Selector – Rohit Sharma
Rohit said that there wasn’t full agreement, but the decision was made with the team’s best interests in mind. The opener added that he spoke with the coach and selector, and they had differing opinions on the matter.
“I was like, ‘Okay, if I’m not hitting the ball well, it’s right now.’ Things can change ten days later, five days later.
“I spoke to the coach and the selector, who was there on the tour. They kind of agreed, not agreed. There was an argument around it. You try and put the team first and just look at what the team wants and make the decision accordingly. Sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not. So that’s how it goes.
“Every decision you try and make, you are not guaranteed success,” he added.
Wanted the Rest of the Guys Also to Think Alike – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma stated that as captain, he wanted to prioritise the team’s interests over individual achievements. He said that the team members should focus on what was best for the team, rather than obsessing over personal milestones.
“Since I started captaining the national team, not just me, I wanted the rest of the guys also to think alike – try and put the team first and do what’s necessary for the team and not worry too much about ‘my runs, my scores,’ and stuff like that. It’s important because you are playing a team sport,” Rohit stated.
The Mumbai batter struggled during the home series against New Zealand, where India suffered a 0–3 defeat. He also missed the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to paternity leave.
Rohit gave up his opening position to accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, who had formed a 201-run partnership in the first Test. Batting at No. 6, Rohit was dismissed for single-digit scores in both innings. He added only 10 runs in the third Test in Brisbane and scored three and nine in the Melbourne Test.
