Tag: Rohit Sharma

India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill has addressed the growing speculation surrounding the retirement of the team’s captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand.

Ever since Rohit stepped away from T20Is following India’s triumphant ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, many have wondered whether the veteran batter would call it quits from international cricket altogether after the Champions Trophy.

The rumors gained further traction when Rohit opted out of the Sydney Test against Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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However, Shubman Gill has now dismissed any such talks, stating that the team is fully focused on the final and that no retirement discussions have taken place within the setup.

“All our discussions have been about winning the final and lifting the trophy. The team and I have not been informed about any such decision,” Gill said when asked about Rohit’s future.

The young opener further emphasized that Rohit Sharma himself wouldn’t be thinking about retirement at this moment, as his attention remains firmly on India’s title clash against New Zealand.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“Rohit Bhai would not be thinking about it right now. I believe that once the final is over, he will make a decision. But within the team, there has been no talk regarding his retirement,” he added.

Meanwhile, reports have been circulating about the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considering a leadership change in the Test format.

According to Indian media, the board is unlikely to persist with Rohit Sharma as Test captain, with Jasprit Bumrah emerging as the frontrunner to take over from the upcoming England tour in June- July this year.

READ: Mohammad Haris comments on Babar-Rizwan’s omission from T20I squad

India team skipper Rohit Sharma has found himself at the center of controversy during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, after a Congress spokesperson fat-shamed him, calling him ” the most unimpressive” Indian captain in history.

Indian National Congress (INC) spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed, made controversial remarks in a now-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, stating that Sharma needed to lose weight.

“@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight and of course the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!”

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

She added that Rohit Sharma was a “mediocre” captain, suggesting he was merely “lucky” to be in the position and lacked the world-class abilities of his predecessors.

Dr Shama Mohamed tweeted these comments during the match between India and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, which drew reactions from fans and political rivals.

According to the Indian news outlet NDTV, Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), responded to the remarks, calling them “unfortunate.”

“Very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment when the team is in the middle of such a crucial ICC tournament. It may have a demoralising effect on an individual or the team,” he said.

“All the players are performing to their highest potential and results are visible. I hope individuals will desist from making such derogatory statements for personal publicity sake,” said BCCI secretary.

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For the unversed, India remained unbeaten in the group stages of the eight-team tournament and secured top spot in the Group A of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.

The Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand to reach the semi-finals. They will now face off Australia in the semi-final on Tuesday, 4 March in Dubai.

Read: ICC reveals match officials for Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals

DUBAI: India captain Rohit Sharma achieved a significant milestone during the second match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Sharma entered the elite 11,000-run club in ODIs against Bangladesh in India’s Champions Trophy opener.

He also became the second-fastest player to reach the milestone in innings. Before that innings, Rohit Sharma required 12 runs to enter the elite club. He did it in style in his 261 innings, hitting the ball over mid-on in the third over.

His compatriot Virat Kohli is the only other player who has done it faster, achieving the feat in 222 innings.

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Interestingly, with Sharma joining the club, the record for fastest batters to 11,000 ODI runs belonged to Indians—Kohli (222), Rohit (260*), and Tendulkar (276).

The milestone also placed Sharma in an exclusive club of Indian batters who have scored over 11,000 runs in the format, joining the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Virat Kohli.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

It’s worth noting that after today’s match against Bangladesh, Team India will face arch-rivals and hosts Pakistan in the much-awaited marquee event clash on 23 February.

Meanwhile, their final group stage match is scheduled against New Zealand on 2 March.

India Squad For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

READ: Champions Trophy: Towhid Hridoy’s century lifts Bangladesh to 228 against India

DUBAI: India captain Rohit Sharma is on the verge of achieving a major ODI milestone during the second match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Rohit is just 12 runs away from entering the elite 11,000-run club in ODIs, and if he gets there against Bangladesh in India’s Champions Trophy opener, he’ll become the second-fastest to reach the milestone in terms of innings.

Currently sitting at 260 innings in ODIs, Rohit is on the verge of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who reached the landmark in 276 innings.

Only Virat Kohli has done it faster, achieving the feat in just 222 innings. Interestingly, if Rohit crosses the mark today, all three of the fastest batters to 11,000 ODI runs will be Indians—Kohli (222), Rohit (260*), and Tendulkar (276).

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The milestone will also place Rohit in an exclusive club of Indian batters who have scored over 11,000 runs in the format, joining the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Virat Kohli.

With India set to kick off their Champions Trophy campaign at the Dubai International Stadium, all eyes will be on Rohit as he looks to rewrite the record books once again.

It’s worth noting that after today’s match against Bangladesh, Team India will face arch-rivals and hosts Pakistan in the much-awaited Champions Trophy clash on 23 February.

Meanwhile, their final group stage match is scheduled against New Zealand on 2 March.

India Squad For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

READ: Khushdil Shah breaks silence on ‘parchi’ chants after New Zealand loss

DUBAI: Indian captain Rohit Sharma backed his team balance and praised Pakistan-born net bowlers ahead of their opening match against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy 2025 here on 20 February.

Addressing the media in a pre-match conference, Rohit shed light on the Team’s preparations and balance.

While answering about the Pakistan-born net bowlers, he said they were really good, and our team praised them.

“The bowlers were really good; two of them were Pakistani, and our team has praised their bowling.”

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When asked about India being labelled a “spin-heavy” side, the Indian skipper downplayed the tag, emphasizing that they have two spinners while three others are all-rounders.

“We have two spinners and three all-rounders. I am not looking at them as five spinners. Jadeja, Axar, Washi give us a lot of depth. If a team has fast bowling all-rounder we don’t say five or six pacers in a squad,” Rohit explained.

The right-hander also expressed excitement about the return of the Champions Trophy after an eight-year break.

He further backed the Indian team’s approach for the Champions Trophy while acknowledging the fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s absence.

“We will play this tournament as we have played any other tournament. Playing for India means a lot to all of us. There will be times when you will miss certain players, but we have depth in our squad,” he said.

Rohit Sharma stated the importance of adopting the conditions in Dubai and backed his team in doing well.

“We are assessing the conditions here; if it’s overcast tomorrow, we have the arsenal to play according to the conditions,” said the opener.

India’s Champions Trophy 2025 Squad:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

READ: Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan opens up on loss to New Zealand

Indian ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma has allegedly filed a complaint with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.

The report claimed that Rohit felt that Gavaskar was ”too harsh” regarding his dismal show against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The complaint follows recent critical remarks made by Gavaskar regarding Indian batting stalwart performance during the Test series between India and Australia.

In a series where Indian and Australian batting struggled most of the time, Rohit Sharma scored just 31 runs in 3 Test matches. He even decided to drop himself for the final match in Sydney.

Sunil Gavaskar, in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald, Gavaskar criticised Sharma for his batting and captaincy.

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“If he (Rohit) doesn’t score runs in Melbourne and Sydney, he won’t wait for the selectors to make that call, he should step down from captaincy,” he wrote.

Reportedly, Rohit has allegedly expressed his ‘distress’ regarding the external pressure over his performance. This harsh evaluation, according to sources close to Rohit, was seen as unnecessary external pressure that could undermine the captain’s confidence.

“Rohit felt that it wasn’t necessary for Gavaskar to criticize him in such a manner. The captain has been under pressure for some time, and this external criticism, especially from someone as respected as Gavaskar, only adds to the burden,” a source revealed.

It’s worth noting that, the right-handed batter has been “completely out of sorts” in Test cricket, scoring just 164 runs in his last 15 Test innings at a meagre average of 10.93.

READ: Steve Smith achieves major milestone during first Test against Sri Lanka 

Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has raised questions over the true intentions of Mumbai batters including Rohit Sharma after their defeat in the Ranji Trophy game.

The team’s game in the second half of the domestic tournament saw several top Indian players return to grassroots in a bid to regain form and abide by the new BCCI rules which made playing domestic cricket mandatory for all players.

However, Indian captain Rohit Sharma continued his dry run with the bat as he only managed to score three and 11 in the side’s two innings during their Ranji Trophy game.

Following the Mumbai batters’ poor outing in the game, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has raised questions about their intentions to play the game.

In a column in an Indian publication, Gavaskar slammed the Mumbai batters’ approach to attempt big shots in a pitch that had movement.

“The dismissal of Mumbai’s Test batters once again brought to the fore the perils of the all-out aggressive mode of batting that is nowadays thought of as being central to run-making,” Gavaskar wrote.

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“It can work on flat pitches, but on pitches where the ball is doing something, there has to be a technique good enough to keep out the good delivery.”

According to Sunil Gavaskar, the aggressive batting approach backfired in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series where Sharma was dismissed several times while going on the offensive.

“There are more chances of a dismissal while looking to play in a manner that one is not used to, as was seen in the recent Sydney Test [between India and Australia] when rushes of blood caused some silly-looking dismissals,” he wrote.

Gavaskar went on to question if Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer only played the Ranji Trophy game to keep their national contracts.

“Whether their hearts were in it or they did that only to ensure they were not stripped of their BCCI contracts, like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were, after missing out on the Ranji Trophy games last year, is known only to them,” he added.

“Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s participation meant that Ayush Mhatre, who had got a couple of hundreds and some fifties, had to be left out of the Mumbai side.”

READ: Jasprit Bumrah named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year

DUBAI: India’s Rohit Sharma has been named the captain of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2024 on Saturday, featuring Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam.

Babar is the only Pakistani in the lineup, which features four players from India, with one each from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Australia, and England.

Rohit Sharma-led India defeated South Africa to clinch their second ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, which resulted in their players dominating the T20I Team of the Year.

Sharma was a force to be reckoned with in the T20 arena, amassing an impressive total of 378 runs across 11 matches, boasting an average of 42.00 and a striking strike rate that soared beyond 160.

Australian opener Travis Head emerged as a key player in their T20I success, racking up 539 runs at an aggressive strike rate approaching 178.47. His ability to adapt was on full display through four half-centuries, with a standout 80 runs against Scotland.

Phil Salt was dynamic in his contributions to England’s campaign in 2024, scoring a remarkable 467 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 164.43.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam consistently anchored Pakistan’s batting lineup, starting 2024 with a remarkable run of three consecutive fifties against New Zealand. He scored 738 runs at an average of 33.54, reaffirming his status as one of Pakistan’s best batters.

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Nicholas Pooran shone brightly for the West Indies, accumulating a robust 464 runs in 21 matches. His ability to accelerate during the middle overs and finish innings with fireworks was pivotal for his team.

Sikandar Raza continued to be the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s batting effort, hitting a sensational 133 not out off just 43 balls in a high-stakes qualifier, setting a record that spoke to his explosive capability.

Hardik Pandya reaffirmed his position as the top all-rounder, contributing significantly with both bat and ball. His tally of 352 runs and 16 wickets in 17 matches showcased his versatility, including a thrilling performance where his match-winning final over in the T20 World Cup clinched victory for his team.

Rashid Khan stood tall as Afghanistan’s bowling spearhead, claiming an eye-catching 31 wickets in 14 matches at an astonishing average of 9.58, which played a crucial role in guiding Afghanistan to their historic first World Cup semifinal.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga excelled, efficiently ranking third among T20I bowlers, and establishing himself as a key player in the team’s bowling lineup.

India welcomed back Jasprit Bumrah with open arms, as his sensational return to T20I cricket saw him take 15 wickets at a remarkable average of 8.26, leading the charge in India’s triumphant title-winning campaign.

Arshdeep Singh emerged as India’s leading bowler, shining brightly with 36 wickets in 18 matches. His fiery performance, marked by an astonishing 4 wickets for just 9 runs against hosts USA in the T20 World Cup, further solidified his reputation as a complete and formidable T20 bowler.

ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2024

Rohit Sharma (India – Captain), Travis Head (Australia), Phil Salt (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies – Wicketkeeper), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Arshdeep Singh (India)

READ: Salman Butt comments on rumors of Babar Azam playing as opener in Champions Trophy

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has issued a bold statement about his ambitions for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

It’s worth noting that India will play all their matches in Dubai, while the rest of the tournament will be played across Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi in Pakistan.

The final is scheduled in Lahore on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai.

Rohit Sharma, during the Golden Jubilee anniversary celebrations of Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, expressed his resolve to bring the coveted trophy to the venue after winning the tournament.

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“We will try our best. I’m sure that the wishes of 140 crore Indians will be behind us when we land in Dubai for the Champions Trophy,” Rohit Sharma said.

“We will try to do well and bring the Champions Trophy 2025 to the Wankhede Stadium (once we win)”

It is worth noting here that India, led by Virat Kohli, entered the Champions Trophy 2017 edition as defending champions, having won the 2013 edition under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. However, they were defeated by arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.

The Men In Blue are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. They will kick off their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.

India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja

*Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is subject to his fitness.

READ: James Vince calls out ECB over NOC policy for franchise cricket

India captain Rohit Sharma has defended the decision to include four spinners in the squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

India revealed their provisional squad for the eight-team event on 18 January, including four spinners—Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav.

There were concerns about the fitness of Yadav, who had been out of action since his hernia surgery in November, however, he was still named in the India squad.

The announcement was made during a press conference, where skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the media. Speaking about the spinners’ roles, Rohit highlighted their importance in adding depth to both the batting and bowling departments.

“The spinners give us depth when we have spinning all-rounders. While we don’t have many seaming all-rounders, these players bring quality in both batting and bowling,” said Sharma.

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“Sundar, Jadeja, and Axar are proper all-rounders, not just spin-bowling all-rounders.”

The 37-year-old skipper expressed satisfaction with the spinners’ past performances and their adaptability to various roles.

“These players are not selected just to fill a spot as batters or bowlers. They’ve performed in key situations, and the team is confident in their abilities,” he added.

“Having this depth with quality spin options is always beneficial.”

India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja

*Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is subject to his fitness.

READ: Sunil Gavaskar names his favorites for Champions Trophy 2025