New Delhi, May 7: Is he out of form? Is he struggling to regain his old touch?
Despite scoring a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and a few hurricane innings, many cricket experts feel Rohit Sharma is not at his best.
With the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 coming up and he being the leader of India's 15-men squad, will his off-colour show affect India's chances in the ICC multi-nation global event? That fear looms large.
But there are many who just believe Rohit can be at his best at any time. If he gets one big innings, he will regain his old magical touch.
Former Australia cricketer Michael Clarke shared his thoughts on Rohit’s form in the IPL 2024 and opined that it’s only a matter of one inning that he will find his form again.
Rohit started well in this season of IPL and scored 297 in his first seven innings but only managed to score 34 in his next five innings, overall in 12 innings he scored 330 runs with a mere average of 30.
The only consolation inning that came from the Indian skipper bat was a century against Chennai Super Kings (105 off 63 balls) that too in a losing cause. It was his second century in the history of IPL that came after more than 12 years.
"With someone like Rohit, it's only a matter of time before he finds his form again. How many times do you see that exact ball go for six though? It happened to SKY. The exact same ball, exact same shot, except these went for six, Rohit gets out. Rohit, being the wise judge of his own performances, will undoubtedly be disappointed, especially considering his strong start," said Clarke on Star Sports.
However, Clarke also believed that it might be a feeling of fatigue for Rohit and advocated for a break. "In my view, he might be feeling a bit fatigued as well. A break to freshen up could do wonders for him, but as the Indian captain and a key player for Mumbai Indians, you're not getting a break. So he's going to have to find form. He doesn't seem to be struggling with his timing; it's just a matter of getting out."
Clarke also backed Rohit for the T20 World Cup, leading the Indian side and asked him to focus on his game rather than the result. "Hopefully, he stresses less and focuses on his game because he's too talented to keep missing out. He's at his best when he's timing the ball, rather than trying to force it. He's a great player, and I have no doubt he'll bounce back soon. Let's just hope it's not at the World Cup again (said jokingly)," Clarke concluded.
Rohit is too big a player to remain off-colour with the bat for a prolonged phase. He is expected to be at his best soon.
If he gets going, then it would be very challenging for the opposition to stop him. Of course, lakhs of Indian fans would love to see Rohit dominate the bowlers and dictate terms in the 22 yards. (With IANS support)
