Sanjay Manjrekar predicts Rohit Sharma's ODI approach shift amid slump
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has hinted that India's captain Rohit Sharma could change his aggressive batting approach in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England.
The speculation comes as Sharma struggles with a slump in form after a disappointing showing in India's recent long Test season.
Meanwhile, since September, the skipper has scored just 164 runs in eight matches, averaging a paltry 10.93 with just one half-century.
Here's more.
Return performance
Rohit's Ranji Trophy return and upcoming challenges
Rohit faced twin failures in his return to the Ranji Trophy, with lackluster scores worth three and 28 in two innings for Mumbai.
As a result, his form faces intense scrutiny ahead of the England series and ICC Champions Trophy.
Manjrekar commented on Star Sports' Deep Point show, stating, "What is going to happen is that he will play differently in 50-overs cricket as there's massive scrutiny on his poor form."
Strategy shift
Manjrekar's analysis of Rohit's potential strategy
Further explaining his prediction, Manjrekar said, "He might not go and do the kind of pinch hitting. It was reflected in his interview during the Border Gavaskar Trophy as well that he got affected by it (his poor form) emotionally."
He further noted, "Unless of course, he surprises us and plays in exactly the same fashion but in our country, there's so much discussion about someone's poor form so somewhere it gets to you."
Style evolution
Rohit's new batting style and past successes
Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit has embraced an aggressive batting approach, frequently attacking bowlers from the outset.
The strategy proved successful during the tournament, where he amassed 597 runs in 11 matches, averaging 54.27 with a strike rate of 125.94.
Meanwhile, he maintained this form in the 2024 ODI series against Sri Lanka, emerging as the highest run-scorer with an average of 52.33, a strike rate of 141.44, and two half-centuries.
Captaincy challenges
Pressure on Rohit's captaincy and future prospects
Sharma's leadership has also been questioned after India faced back-to-back Test series defeats against New Zealand (home) and Australia (away).
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how these recent setbacks affect his form and playing style as he gears up for his ODI return after six months.
Despite these challenges, fans and cricket pundits are eagerly waiting to see if Rohit can pull himself out of this rough patch in the upcoming matches against England.
ODI numbers
These are the skipper's ODI numbers
The Indian skipper is the second-highest run-scorer among active Indian players in ODIs (trailing Virat Kohli).
Rohit has amassed 10,866 runs at an average of 49.16 (265 matches).
He also owns a strike rate of 92.43, including 31 tons and 57 fifties.
Additionally, his highest score reads 264, which he hammered against Sri Lanka in 2014.
Milestones
Rohit eyes this milestone in England series
Rohit is set to lead India in the three-match ODI series against England, starting February 6 in Nagpur.
While the Indian skipper aims for a series win, he eyes several milestones with the bat.
Rohit is only 134 shy of completing 11,000 runs in ODI cricket.
If he manages to do it in his next 19 innings, he will be the second-fastest to do so after Virat Kohli (222 innings).