India‘s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, has downplayed concerns about captain Rohit Sharma‘s form ahead of the second ODI against England at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. While acknowledging that the right-handed batter faced challenges in Australia, Kotak emphasized that Rohit has remained consistent in ODIs.
With a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Team India will aim to seal the series by securing a win in Cuttack on Sunday, February 9. The Men in Blue delivered a strong bowling performance in the opening ODI in Nagpur, where debutant Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each.
During the chase, three Indian batters notched up half-centuries, but Rohit struggled, managing only two runs off seven deliveries. Addressing the media in a pre-match press conference ahead of the Cuttack ODI, Kotak dismissed concerns about Rohit’s form and stated (as quoted by Cricbuzz):
“I personally don’t think there’s any problem. The last 3 one-dayers Rohit has played, he has scored 58, 64 and 35. The guy has got 31 one-day hundreds. Sometimes whenever there’s a little lean patch, I don’t think I’d be worried or thinking about their form. Yes in Tests in Australia it was a tough time. About one-dayers, he’s always been scoring runs so not concerned,” the 52-year-old added.
The "Rohit Rohit" chants for captain Rohit Sharma at barabati stadium Odisha whan Rohit come out for practice.🔥🥵 #INDvsENG
The Aura of boss @ImRo45 🐐 pic.twitter.com/klhHww0Mnf
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) February 8, 2025
Rohit Sharma Reacts Sharply to Reporter’s Question on His Form
Before the first ODI against England in Nagpur, Rohit Sharma spoke to the media. During the press conference, he appeared frustrated by a question regarding his form. When asked about his underwhelming performance in Australia, he responded:
“What kind of a question is that? This is a different format, different time. As usual, as cricketers, we know there will be ups and downs and I have faced a lot in my career so this is nothing new to me. We know every day is a fresh day, every series is a fresh series.”
Rohit has excelled in ODIs, scoring 10,868 runs in 266 matches at an average of 48.95 and a strike rate of 92.39, with 31 centuries and 57 fifties.
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