NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has thrown his weight behind captain Rohit Sharma, insisting that the veteran batter still has plenty of cricket left in him. Sidhu believes that Sharma will retain his leadership position for India’s upcoming five-match away Test series against England, despite recent criticism over his form in red-ball cricket.
Rohit’s place in the Test team came under scrutiny following a string of disappointing performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The pressure mounted when he opted out of the final Test in Sydney, citing poor form. However, Sidhu has dismissed the notion of replacing him, pointing out that there is no viable alternative at the moment.
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“Tell me, who will you make the captain at the last moment, and who has given such a performance?” Sidhu said in an interview with Sports Tak. “Rohit Sharma was selfless and did not play a match, but did the other guy come in and score 150 there? You should have a replacement first. Experience is learned in the school of adversity. How will you replace Rohit Sharma? Look at his record in England. See how many hundreds he has there. Maturity lies in this: preserve the old and know the new.”
Sidhu further emphasised that Rohit Sharma should undoubtedly continue as the captain, especially after leading India to two ICC titles.
“Rohit Sharma will be the captain and he only should be the captain. Should Rohit Sharma climb the bamboo? What more should he do? Will you test someone like this who has won you two ICC trophies?” Sidhu remarked, expressing his confidence in the experienced opener.
He also underlined the importance of retaining seasoned players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul till the 2027 ODI World Cup, blending their experience with the youthful exuberance of players like Nitish Reddy, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.
“Till the 2027 World Cup, you will have to make a mix of the experience of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and the exuberance of someone like Nitish Reddy, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Until you do not make this mix, you cannot select a good team,” Sidhu remarked.
