India captain Shubman Gill came to the defence of veteran opener Rohit Sharma following his below-par performance in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand. Rohit managed just 61 runs across three innings at an average of 20.33 and a strike rate of 76.25, well below his usual standards.
The series-deciding third ODI in Indore highlighted his struggles, as he scored only 11 off 13 balls while chasing a challenging target of 338. India eventually fell 42 runs short, giving New Zealand their first-ever ODI series win on Indian soil.
Gill, speaking at the post-match press conference, emphasized that it is unrealistic to expect a batter to convert every start into a big score. “He got some starts in the first couple of ODIs. As a batter, you always want to convert those starts into hundreds, but it’s not possible every time,” Gill said.
Rohit had entered the series on the back of strong form, having been the Player of the Series in Australia with 202 runs from three innings, and scoring 146 runs, including two half-centuries, against South Africa.
With India’s next ODI series scheduled for June, Rohit will be keen to regain his form. Meanwhile, youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a century in the third ODI against South Africa, waits in the wings, adding pressure to Rohit’s position in the team.
