NEW DELHI: ‘Koi garden mein nahi ghoomega’—a fiery on-field remark by Rohit Sharma during a Test match—took social media by storm earlier this year. The Indian skipper has now finally opened up about the story behind the viral line that quickly became a fan favourite.
The incident took place during the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam in February 2024. Rohit was caught on the stump mic urging his teammates to show more urgency during a critical phase of the match. The phrase instantly struck a chord with fans and has been widely shared online ever since.
Rohit has now explained the context of his now-famous words.
“It was in Vizag, I saw the over ended and the players were leisurely walking as if they were in a garden. No one was running, there was no urgency in the field. I was fielding in the slip, we had spinners bowling from both ends. The game was hanging by a loose thread, it was an important game, we had to win. I had told the players in the morning that we need to put in some extra effort but they were having fun in the ground,” Rohit said on JioHotstar.
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He added that India desperately needed a breakthrough at that point, and he was frustrated with the lack of intensity.
“So I saw it for two-three overs and then said things can’t go on like this, you can’t play cricket like this. Everyone was just going with the flow which annoyed me and then I told everyone not to be like that. A partnership was going on, I was desperate to get a wicket. In such moments everyone needs to put in a collective effort. At that moment, I saw everyone being busy with themselves which I didn’t like,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rohit’s recent form in the IPL continues to be a concern. On Thursday, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya brought him in as an Impact Player against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the veteran batter’s struggles persisted. He managed just 26 runs before falling to Pat Cummins.
So far, Rohit has scored only 82 runs in six innings at a disappointing average of 13.66.
The lean patch has drawn sharp criticism from former India opener Virender Sehwag, who has not held back in his assessment. Sehwag cautioned Rohit to safeguard his legacy and even suggested that it might be time for the former MI captain to consider stepping away from the format.
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