All the conspiracy theories that Rohit Sharma is unfit and not in the scheme of things for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup were given a quiet burial by the seashore in Mumbai on Thursday.
The review meeting held at the BCCI headquarters was important. Several issues had to be discussed, with coach Gautam Gambhir and the two captains, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, present. Whether it was a matter of convenience that Ajit Agarkar, who usually makes his presence felt strongly at such meetings, was absent on Thursday is fodder for the rumor mills.
The day selectors and a chairman of the committee start thinking he is more important than the BCCI itself and marquee players is foolishness. Agarkar has ruffled feathers in the past, the grapevine says. He had also made some cricketers uncomfortable, including Rohit Sharma.
Just to jog readers’ memories, the kind of negativity that has surrounded Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli over and over again has, in itself, become a cricketing record. It is not just the vile social media where you can post bilge; even the self-styled cricket writers who write more on rumour-based stuff are guilty. They, too, were made to eat humble pie on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma is here to stay, and the opener will not be judged from one series to another. For the former India skipper, cricket across formats is a passion, and he has nothing left to prove. The only doubts about Hitman were his fitness, weight, and age. Yes, aging is a natural process. In the direction where performance matters, Rohit has worked hard in the gym. To lose close to 15kg, he has shown intent in looking fitter, trimmer and more athletic. This was the reason he could bat freely, scoring 138 off 110 balls at Lord’s in July.
After that innings, Rohit gave an interview and, in true diplomatic style, said his job was to perform, not to worry about selection. Add to it what BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia said in England: there was no real worry over Rohit. Truth to tell, Saikia had to do damage control, since Rohit, despite giving up captaincy, does have good links with the top bosses. If a common fan thinks the BCCI President, Mithun Manhas, and the secretary will decide the future and fate of senior players, no way. How many know Manhas as a President who calls the shots? He is just like his predecessor, Roger Binny. Now it is clear that Saikia will address all issues. He did a good job of it, even on Thursday, in Mumbai!
This habit of targeting senior players in Indian cricket is nothing new. Virat Kohli has faced it in the past, and now Rohit Sharma. If the barometer for performance is runs for a batter and wickets for a bowler, both in the RoKo combination are still dependable and durable. It is the dream of both the former India captains to play the 2027 World Cup and sign off. They are not begging for a place; they are delivering. If fitness is indeed a matter of concern, such questions should be asked of even Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.
Indeed, the kind of workload for the Indian team(s) is packed. The Asian Games are set, with VVS Laxman to have assistant coaches guiding him in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, this month, with Shreyas Iyer as captain. The same cricket ‘experts’ who said there was no way Shreyas Iyer could walk on as T20 skipper resorted to a slander campaign against Rohit Sharma. There are lobbies in New Delhi as well as Mumbai. For the time being, they will need to twiddle their thumbs while Rohit Sharma focuses on cricket.
So, where does this end, eventually? No, it will not. In Indian cricket, the reporting and commentary is not just on-field; more of it is gossip, source-based with no credibility, and ‘plants.’ Yes, skippers themselves have used the media, but none dare play with , who can still throw his weight around.
Postscript: Enjoy Team India’s performances, and write about it. So much cricket loading in the coming months. FYI, Rohit Sharma is looking fit and training hard.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Sports Now or Times Network.