Ex-India opener Aakash Chopra has slammed current captain Rohit Sharma for taking frequent breaks from the game. Rohit Sharma is currently enjoying a break from cricket after India's T20 World Cup campaign ended in a shocking 10-wicket defeat to eventual champions England. However, the BCCI's decision to rest him from the ongoing tour of New Zealand hasn't gone down well with Aakash Chopra who reckons that with the ODI World Cup less than a year away, Rohit Sharma should spend as much time as possible with the Men in Blue if they want to end their ICC trophy drought next year at home.
Giving the examples of England captain Jos Buttler and Australia skipper Pat Cummins who chose to not feature in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) this year to spend more time with their national teams, Aakash Chopra suggested that Rohit Sharma should do the same as well. He advised Rohit Sharma to rest during the IPL if he wants and avoid missing out on India games unless there is an injury concern.
“If you look at Sri Lanka, they are playing against Afghanistan, and Dasun Shanaka is leading them. England played against Australia, and Jos Buttler is still their captain. Australia chopped and changed a little bit but Pat Cummins led them in two out of those three matches (against England). If all teams around the world are playing with their original captains then why do we change our captains so much? It's a valid question,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“The captain is the one responsible for building a team. The same captain, the same coach helps a lot because the more time you spend with the team, the better you get to know each individual. If constantly, be it in West Indies, Zimbabwe, now in New Zealand, your captain is not available then there is a problem. Shikhar Dhawan led India in the last three ODI series. Suddenly when you go to Bangladesh, he won't be the captain. The openers will change, and the captain will change. So when there are so many changes then your preparations are not good,” he added.
“Now, the time for experimenting is gone. Rohit Sharma, I believe he is our captain for the 2023 ODI World Cup, should take minimal breaks and keep playing. If you need a break, take it during the IPL. If Team India is serious about winning the World Cup then they should start fielding their best XI as much as possible,” Aakash Chopra explained.
Earlier this week, Rohit Sharma was trolled online after he posted pictures of himself working out in a gym ahead of the side's tour to Bangladesh in December.
While a section of Team India supporters praised Rohit Sharma for putting in long hours in the gym, others mocked him. His trolling came after his teammate, Virat Kohli, shared a video of his training session in which he's putting in a lot of effort to get in the best shape possible ahead of the series against Bangladesh.
“BACK at it,” Virat Kohli wrote in the caption of his Instagram post.
Soon after the video clip of Virat Kohli's workout in the gym went viral on social media, Indian cricket admirers were seen taking swipes at Rohit Sharma as they compared his physique with the 34-year-old cricket star.
Of late, Rohit Sharma has been severely criticized for his fat belly, particularly after he failed to get going in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia. He finished the prestigious competition with only a solitary fifty in six games and was among one of the worst performers with the bat for Team India.
Last week, Rohit Sharma was roasted online after he shared a post for Mumbai Indians legend Kieron Pollard who retired from the Indian Premier League (IPL) recently.
Immediately after Kieron Pollard's announcement, his social media feed was filled with congratulatory messages with many past and current MI players paying tribute to the West Indies cricketer.
But it was Rohit Sharma's message that raised eyebrows.
“Big man, big impact and always played with heart. A true MI legend Kieron Pollard,” Rohit Sharma wrote on social media as he posted a photo of himself with the explosive batter.
Soon, Indian cricket's supporters ripped into him for not posting anything about the Men in Blue's T20 World Cup campaign which ended in a semifinal defeat.
Before facing flak from the fans, former India pacer Atul Wassan tore into Rohit Sharma's poor leadership and even went as far as to say that he should be sacked as the national team's skipper.
“Yes, I feel so (that Rohit's time as India's T20 captain is over). You always plan between two World Cups and I don't think Indian cricket will gain anything by retaining him as captain. We won't get any return for such an investment. You have two options in front of you – Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant. I am still besides myself, can't believe what happened. I felt as if India batted in Adelaide and England in Sharjah,” Atul Wassan told ABP News.
“We could see two level of cricketers. At least something should have happened. You can't even find a fault. I feel that you can't blame the captaincy. Afterall, it was the team management that was taking all decisions. Rohit Sharma did not take a single call. He only decided where to hide on the field,” Atul Wassan added.
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