Former India captain Rohit Sharma is all heart both on and off the field. He rarely uses a filter. Even while addressing the press, he is as natural as it gets.
And when it comes to interacting with fans, he is a complete delight. When the fan is a kid, he also gets protective just like he did during his practice session at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Friday.
In a video that has gone viral, Rohit was seen yelling at security personnel trying to forcefully stop a kid who tried to get close to India’s T20 World Cup-winning and Champions Trophy-winning captain. Rohit was packing his kit after the training session when a kid tried to run towards him. The people responsible for Rohit’s security stopped the kid. Seeing the kid being held forcefully, Rohit shouted and instructed them to allow the boy to meet him.
Rohit was back in familiar territory on Friday morning, grinding it out at Shivaji Park in a focused training session ahead of India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia. With former teammates Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni by his side, the veteran opener appeared fully immersed in his preparations, facing a barrage of deliveries in back-to-back net sessions that lasted nearly two hours.
Rohit, recently replaced as India’s ODI captain by Shubman Gill, worked intently under the watchful eyes of Nayar, who has long been a confidant and mentor in his training routines. Kulkarni, who has bowled to Rohit on countless occasions in Mumbai nets, returned to lend pace support and simulate match conditions.
Rohit’s return to the field comes at a critical juncture in his career. Having last featured for India in the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in February, where he led the team to a historic title win, the 38-year-old is now set for a high-stakes comeback in the three-match ODI series beginning October 19 in Perth.
Despite stepping down from the longer formats, both Rohit and fellow stalwart Virat Kohli have retired from Tests and ODIs over the past year, the Australian tour presents another opportunity for the duo to assert their relevance in India’s evolving white-ball structure.
As Rohit batted under the mid-morning sun, a handful of local players, including young Mumbai batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, watched and occasionally bowled in the nets. The session was methodical rather than flashy, with defensive pushes, controlled lofts, and an emphasis on footwork hinting at a deliberate approach toward acclimatising to Australia’s pace-friendly conditions.