No pressure on Rohit Sharma: Team India make stance clear as retirement buzz grows
Sitanshu Kotak said India are not putting Rohit Sharma under pressure despite the noise around his ODI future. Reports on Thursday suggested that the selectors are ready to move on from Rohit and he wasn't in the plans for the ODI World Cup next year.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak denied that the team management is putting pressure on Rohit Sharma as retirement rumours gathered pace after the Cardiff ODI against England. Rohit has been going through a lean patch in ODIs, scoring 241 runs at an average of 30.1 and a strike rate of 88.6 in the last eight games.
IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Highlights | Scorecard
During the second ODI in Cardiff, Rohit struggled for rhythm and scored 26 off 47 balls before falling to Will Jacks. Soon after this, a report from PTI stated that the former India captain was set for his final appearance in the national team colours during the 3rd ODI at Lord's. It also claimed that the selectors won't back Rohit after the England tour, meaning that he won't be in the plans for the ODI World Cup next year.
Kotak was quizzed on whether India would be looking beyond Rohit and give a chance to Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ishan Kishan at the top going forward. The India batting coach said that a big player like Rohit is immune to pressure and brushed aside concerns about his form after the first two ODIs.
“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.
'YOU MAY SEE A DIFFERENT ROHIT AT LORD'S'
Kotak jumped to Rohit's defence after his slow innings in Cardiff, saying that the opener wasn't struggling in the middle and backed him to bounce back at Lord's.
“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.
With England winning the second ODI and setting up the series finale on Sunday, July 19, all eyes will be on Rohit to see in which direction his career will go after the latest rumours.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak denied that the team management is putting pressure on Rohit Sharma as retirement rumours gathered pace after the Cardiff ODI against England. Rohit has been going through a lean patch in ODIs, scoring 241 runs at an average of 30.1 and a strike rate of 88.6 in the last eight games.
IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Highlights | Scorecard
During the second ODI in Cardiff, Rohit struggled for rhythm and scored 26 off 47 balls before falling to Will Jacks. Soon after this, a report from PTI stated that the former India captain was set for his final appearance in the national team colours during the 3rd ODI at Lord's. It also claimed that the selectors won't back Rohit after the England tour, meaning that he won't be in the plans for the ODI World Cup next year.
Kotak was quizzed on whether India would be looking beyond Rohit and give a chance to Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ishan Kishan at the top going forward. The India batting coach said that a big player like Rohit is immune to pressure and brushed aside concerns about his form after the first two ODIs.
“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.
'YOU MAY SEE A DIFFERENT ROHIT AT LORD'S'
Kotak jumped to Rohit's defence after his slow innings in Cardiff, saying that the opener wasn't struggling in the middle and backed him to bounce back at Lord's.
“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.
With England winning the second ODI and setting up the series finale on Sunday, July 19, all eyes will be on Rohit to see in which direction his career will go after the latest rumours.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak denied that the team management is putting pressure on Rohit Sharma as retirement rumours gathered pace after the Cardiff ODI against England. Rohit has been going through a lean patch in ODIs, scoring 241 runs at an average of 30.1 and a strike rate of 88.6 in the last eight games.
IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Highlights | Scorecard
During the second ODI in Cardiff, Rohit struggled for rhythm and scored 26 off 47 balls before falling to Will Jacks. Soon after this, a report from PTI stated that the former India captain was set for his final appearance in the national team colours during the 3rd ODI at Lord's. It also claimed that the selectors won't back Rohit after the England tour, meaning that he won't be in the plans for the ODI World Cup next year.
Kotak was quizzed on whether India would be looking beyond Rohit and give a chance to Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ishan Kishan at the top going forward. The India batting coach said that a big player like Rohit is immune to pressure and brushed aside concerns about his form after the first two ODIs.
“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.
'YOU MAY SEE A DIFFERENT ROHIT AT LORD'S'
Kotak jumped to Rohit's defence after his slow innings in Cardiff, saying that the opener wasn't struggling in the middle and backed him to bounce back at Lord's.
“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.
With England winning the second ODI and setting up the series finale on Sunday, July 19, all eyes will be on Rohit to see in which direction his career will go after the latest rumours.
