‘Plate pe saja ke nahi dia’: Rohit Sharma opens up on passing captaincy to next-gen; namedrops Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni

With the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma ‘opted out’ of the fifth and final Test against Australia at Sydney in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy, questions started being raised who may be the next captain of India. But Rohit, who quashed away his retirement rumours, also stated that the next Indian captain must earn that tag by understanding its weight.

Clarifying his stance that he was not dropped but opted out, Rohit Sharma on DAY 2 of the Sydney Test said he has no plans of retiring from Test cricket and that his decision to sit out was only due to his poor form in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

When asked what message he would like to give to the youngsters seeking to become the captain of Indian cricket team, Rohit said, while speaking to Star Sports, “It is difficult to say. It is very difficult to say.”

“There are many boys. But I want them to understand the importance of cricket first. Understand the importance of this place. They are new boys. I know they should be given responsibility. But let them earn it. Let them play some hard-fought cricket for the next few years or whatever it is. Let them earn it,” he added.

Importance of being the Indian captain:

Pointing at the importance of being the Indian captain, Rohit gave references of his predecessors Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, and him, and the necessity to earn it.

“I am here now. Bumrah is here. Virat was here before him. MS Dhoni was here before him. Everyone has earned it. Kisi ne humko plate pe saja ke nahi dia ( no one gave it to us on a plate). No one should get it like this. Let them work hard. There is a lot of talent in the boys. But at the same time, I also want to say that it is not easy to become the captain of India. There is pressure. But it is a great honour. Our history and the way we play cricket has a great responsibility on both shoulders. So let them earn it,” he said.

Rules out retirement rumours:

Rohit ruled out the possibility of retiring from Test cricket. He said that he is currently out of form but that doesn’t mean his bat will remain silent five months later.

“Whenever I am captaining, I don’t believe in what is going to happen after 5 months or 6 months. What do you want in the immediate future, it is important to focus on this thing. Our entire focus was on these 5 matches. We had to retain the trophy, we had to win. So, when we take such decisions, we do it keeping the team in front of us,” he added.

Praise for Jasprit Bumrah:

Rohit praised Jasprit Bumrah, who is leading Team India in his absence. Rohit said he was impressed with Bumrah’s leadership qualities.

The Indian skipper said, “He has a lot of game ideas. The way he sets an example of his bowling for others, that is class. He has class. He understands the game. He always keeps the team ahead. have been watching him for the last 11 years. I saw him for the first time in 2013. His graph has also gone up. He has evolved a lot in himself. With his game, with his thinking. The way he is bowling, the whole world is watching. But yes, he has gone strength to strength.”