Shubman Gill backs Rohit Sharma (Source: @ImHydro45/x.com)
The Indian fans faced a massive heartbreak last night as the Men in Blue registered a heartbreaking ODI series defeat against New Zealand. Despite a dominating start, their struggle in the previous two matches grabbed the attention and the series slipped away.
Among all the setbacks, Rohit Sharma’s off-form grabbed the attention as he failed to convert good starts into sublime knocks. As the buzz created over his future, captain Shubman Gill came to defend the former Indian skipper.
Shubman Gill stands firm with Rohit Sharma
After wrapping up the ODI series against South Africa, the Indian fans were waiting eagerly for Rohit Sharma’s return. As the Hitman came back in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, expectations were high, but that ended up being a massive disappointment. After starting the series with a 26-run knock, Hitman failed to score a single fifty.
Rohit Sharma came under heavy criticism for his 11-run outing in the third ODI against New Zealand, with questions raised about his future in the format. After the match wrapped up, Team India’s ODI skipper Shubman Gill backed him, citing his impressive outings against Australia and South Africa.
“I think he's been in terrific form, even right through from the Australia series, even in the South Africa series. As I said, you won't always be able to convert the stars that you get. And I think he got some starts in the first couple of ODIs,” he said.
Captain Gill hails Hitman's determination
In the entire series, Rohit Sharma looked promising in the beginning as fans witnessed some classic shots. But the rhythm was interrupted in the middle as he failed to convert that fiery start to a stable innings. Reflecting on this, Shubman Gill came to his defense, saying it’s not always possible to convert promising starts into match-winning performances.
“And as a batter, you always want to convert those stats and always want to make it count and make it into hundreds. But it's not possible to do it every time. But at the same time, that's something that you always strive to do,” Gill added.
Is Rohit's ODI journey coming to an end?
Before stepping into the series, Rohit enjoyed a purple patch in the fifty-over format. In the three-match ODI series against Australia, he won the player of the series award. Facing the Proteas next, after that, he continued in sublime form, smashing two classic half-centuries.
Giving an absolute treat to the fans, Rohit Sharma played two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches and played an exceptional 155-run knock against Sikkim. But after those fireworks, his lackluster performances in the series raised fresh concerns about his form.
In the entire series, Sharma’s hunger was missing, and that grabbed the attention. With the 2027 ODI World Cup looming, his dip in form sparked serious questions about his spot in India’s squad.
In three matches against the Kiwis, he scored only 61 runs. India won’t play another ODI series for six months, with their next clash against England scheduled for July 2025. With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting on the bench, Rohit will be eager to bounce back and reclaim his spot.
