Shardul Thakur hails Rohit Sharma's resilience amid form slump
What's the story
Indian cricket team pacer, Shardul Thakur, has lauded skipper Rohit Sharma's resilience in a recent interview with RevSportz.
Thakur emphasized on Sharma's ability to bounce back from a temporary dip in form, like in the lead-up to the England series.
Meanwhile, despite being criticized for his inconsistent performance, Sharma silenced critics by scoring a brilliant century in the second ODI against England at Cuttack.
Here's more.
Match analysis
Thakur praises Sharma's performance in Cuttack ODI
Further lauding Sharma's Cuttack ODI performance, Thakur said that his batting didn't show any signs of a form slump.
He added that occasional dismissals are part of the game and shouldn't overshadow a player's overall performance.
"The way he was batting (in Cuttack ODI vs England), it did not even seem like he was out of form even once. He looked very comfortable out there. The way he hits those sixes." Thakur said.
Confidence boost
Thakur shares Sharma's confidence about regaining form
Thakur also shared the conversation he had with Sharma ahead of the series, where the latter was confident about his return to form.
"When he played that Ranji game for us and did not score runs, we had a chat because he had not scored in Australia either," Thakur said.
Despite this, Sharma was confident saying, "I know the runs are not coming now, but all I need is just one innings, then runs will come automatically again."
Performance defense
Thakur defends Sharma's performance in recent Ranji match
Thakur defended Sharma's performance in a recent Ranji Trophy loss against Jammu and Kashmir, where both players played.
Although Sharma struggled in that game, Thakur stressed one failure doesn't define him.
"We should not judge him at any time, considering how many matches he has won for India across all formats over the years," he further added.
Patience plea
Thakur urges patience with Sharma's form
Thakur urged critics to be patient with Sharma, highlighting the challenges of opening in Test cricket.
He emphasized that facing the new ball is always tough and that judging a player on a brief dip in form is unfair.
"He is an opener, and dealing with the new ball is always challenging," Thakur said.
He added that Sharma shouldn't be judged harshly, given how many matches he has won for India over the years.
Career overview
The skipper's numbers across formats
The Indian skipper has amassed 19,520 runs in 494 appearances for India across formats.
He has smashed 4,301 runs in 67 Tests at 40.57, (12 tons and 18 fifties).
Meanwhile, in ODIs, he has racked up 10,988 runs across 260 innings while averaging 49.05, (32 hundreds, 57 half-centuries).
In T20Is, (which he retired from in 2024), he has managed 4,231 runs with an impressive strike rate of 140.89, while also hammering five tons and 32 half-centuries.