R Ashwin responds to Rohit Sharma's reaction on poor form
What's the story
Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, recently lost his cool at a press conference when asked about the change in format post his dismal performance on the Test tour of Australia.
The question was posed ahead of the first ODI against England.
Now, former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed in on Sharma's outburst and the scrutiny over his form.
Here's what he had to say.
Captain's stance
Rohit Sharma dismisses concerns over form
Sharma, who managed just 31 runs in five innings on the Australian tour, brushed aside the journalist's question regarding his form.
He stressed that every day and series is a new challenge, saying, "What sort of a question is that? This is a different format, different time," he said in the press conference.
The Indian skipper addressed rumors about BCCI's decision post the ICC Champions Trophy, stating, "How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans sitting here?"
Empathy expressed
Ashwin empathizes with Sharma, highlights performance pressure
Ashwin empathized with Sharma's position on his YouTube channel.
He said such scrutiny could be frustrating for the captain who wants to focus on the series.
"This is not easy. If you look at it from Rohit's POV, then obviously, it is frustrating for him," Ashwin said.
However, he also noted questions will continue until there are significant improvements in performance, and added, "You can't stop these questions. When will they stop? When he performs."
Comeback hopes
Ashwin hopes for Sharma's comeback in ODI series
Despite being aware of the situation, Ashwin stressed that questions regarding Sharma's form will continue until he performs well.
He said, "The ones who are watching will obviously ask. It's a catch-22 situation."
Supporting the Indian skipper, Ashwin said, "I pray that he does well and scores a century in this series."
Form concerns
Sharma's form in Test cricket raises concerns
Sharma's form in Test cricket has been a cause of concern.
Since the home series against England, he has only scored one 50 in 15 attempts and has been dismissed for single-digit scores 10 times.
Meanwhile, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sharma became the first Indian captain to voluntarily drop himself from the playing XI despite being fully fit and available for selection in the final Test against Australia in Sydney.
Dismissal
Rohit dismissed cheaply in first ODI against England
The Indian skipper is going through a rough patch in his career.
Meanwhile, his form suffered another blow during the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday.
Rohit was dismissed after scoring a mere two runs off seven deliveries.
Rohit was dismissed by Saqib Mahmood after he tried an early flick shot which only managed to connect with the toe-end of his bat.
The ball soared high and was caught by Liam Livingstone at mid-on.
Numbers
Rohit's abysmal numbers of late
Rohit's issues started in the home series against Bangladesh in September 2024. He managed 6, 5, 23, and 8 in the two-Test series.
Thereafter, he scored 2, 52, 0, 8, 18, and 11 in the home series against New Zealand.
Rohit, who played three Tests in India's tour of Australia, scored 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9.
This was followed by two poor outings in the Ranji Trophy.
Stats
A look at the Indian skipper's ODI numbers
The Indian Test and ODI skipper owns a whopping 10,868 runs across 266 ODIs. He also boasts an average of 48.95 including a strike rate of 92.39.
He also owns 31 tons and 57 fifties. His highest ODI score reads 264, which he hammered against Sri Lanka in 2014.
Notably, Rohit is only 132 shy of completing 11,000 runs in ODIs.