Tension in Indian Dressing Room: Senior Star Eyes Captaincy Amid Rohit Sharma’s Leadership Woes
Amid Rohit Sharma's ongoing struggles with form and leadership, a senior Indian cricketer emerges as a contender for interim captaincy, intensifying tension within the team's dressing room.
Amid Rohit Sharma’s ongoing struggles with form and leadership, a senior Indian cricketer emerges as a contender for interim captaincy, intensifying tension within the team’s dressing room.
The Indian cricket team is in turbulent waters during the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit Sharma, the team’s captain, has been under severe scrutiny for his batting form and leadership decisions, sparking speculations about fissures within the squad.
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Dressing Room Unrest Post-Melbourne Loss
Following India’s defeat in Melbourne, reports by The Indian Express journalists Sriram Veera, Devendra Pandey, and Venkata Krishna B suggest chaos has erupted in the dressing room. Head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly harshly critiqued the team’s recent performances, showing dissatisfaction with their form and preparation.
Adding to the unrest, a senior team member reportedly positioned himself as an interim captain, claiming that his leadership could stabilize the team. This player, dubbed “Mr. Fix-It,” is skeptical about the younger players’ readiness to take on leadership roles.
Rohit Sharma Struggles with the Bat
Rohit Sharma‘s performance with the bat has raised questions. In his last five innings in Australia, the Mumbai batter scored 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9. His form before the series was similarly unimpressive, with 42 runs in four innings against Bangladesh and 91 runs across three games against New Zealand.
Upon joining the squad after the first Test in Perth, Rohit opted not to disrupt the opening combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Instead, he batted at No. 6, a move that did not pay off, as he continued to struggle for runs in Adelaide and Brisbane.
In the fourth Test, Rohit returned to his usual opening role but failed to make a significant impact.
Criticism from Former Players
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan weighed in on Rohit’s struggles, suggesting his captaincy status is the only reason he remains in the playing XI.
“A player who has made about 20,000 runs — yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all. What’s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. He might not be playing right now if he were not the captain. You would have had a set team,” Pathan remarked.
Team’s Path Ahead
The Indian team’s challenges extend beyond Rohit Sharma’s form, as internal conflicts and underwhelming performances threaten their campaign. Whether the captain can rediscover his touch and rally his team remains to be seen. The spotlight remains on Rohit and the team’s management as they navigate this critical juncture.
