Gavaskar says Rohit needs to change batting strategy, questions if current approach is maximising his talent – Firstpost
&w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "Gavaskar says Rohit needs to change batting strategy, questions if current approach is maximising his talent – Firstpost")
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has asked Rohit Sharma to rethink his batting strategy, suggesting that his current aggressive approach is not yielding results that match his talent. Gavaskar questioned whether Rohit is content with scoring just 25-30 runs instead of converting starts into big innings.
read more
Indian cricket team coach Gautam Gambhir has no complaint with his captain
Rohit Sharma getting out in 20s or that he is 37 years old and what the future holds for him as an ODI captain. But Sunil Gavaskar does not agree. The batting legend feels Rohit cannot be happy by making 25-30 runs for the team, even if it comes at a blistering pace in the first powerplay.
Rohit adopted the slam-bang approach in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home, helping India reach the final. He has since continued with the same gameplan. Under his captaincy, India also won the T20 World Cup 2024 before he bid goodbye to the format, and in the
ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit has so far scored 104 runs at a strike rate of 107.21.
Champions Trophy 2025:
News |
Schedule |
Results
India are now set to take on New Zealand
in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday in Dubai.
‘Rohit’s attacking doesn’t reward his talent’
While Rohit’s attacking start has helped India take the pressure away from Shubman Gill and the middle-order, Gavaskar feels Rohit has the ability to change the course of the game single-handedly if he bats for at least 25 overs rather than getting out in powerplay, trying to up the ante.
“This is an approach he has been following for the last two years or so. It started around the World Cup in India, and he has been sticking to that formula. He has had some success, though perhaps not as much as his talent should warrant. He is an incredibly talented player with a range of shots that not many others in the game possess,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“Therefore, from an aesthetic point of view, from a crowd-pleasing perspective, I am not speaking from the team’s point of view. He bats for even 25 overs, India will be around 180-200. Imagine if they have lost only a couple of wickets by then; just think what they could do-they could reach 350 or more.”
‘If Rohit bats longer, he will take game away from opposition’
Gavaskar added that Rohit should not be happy scoring “25-30 runs” and must aim for a bigger impact by batting longer.
“He also needs to give it some thought. It’s one thing to go out and play aggressively, but there has to be a bit of discretion somewhere to give himself the chance to bat for 25-30 overs. If he does that, he takes the game away from the opposition,” added Gavaskar.
“That kind of impact is match-winning. And I think, as a batter, are you happy with scoring 25-30 runs? You shouldn’t be! So that is what I would say to him: your impact on the team will be even greater if you bat for 25 overs instead of just seven, eight, or nine overs.”
While Rohit has given India fast starts, Virat Kohli is India’s highest run-getter in the Champions trophy 2025 with 217 runs. Shreyas Iyer (195), Shubman Gill (157) and KL Rahul (106) have scored more runs than the Men in Blue captain.
