Subhayan Chakraborty in Sydney
Rohit Sharma on Saturday dismissed rumours of his Test retirement as he came out during the Lunch break on Day 2 of the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He said it was his decision to step down from the Indian playing XI owing to poor run of form. Rohit, who played three Tests in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, managed to score 31 runs at an average of 6.20.
The Indian skipper was not part of the playing XI for the Sydney Test with multiple reports stating that the selectors have apparantely informed the Indian opener that he was not in the scheme of things after the Australia tour. Dismissing the rumours, Rohit clarified he told the coach and selectors that he should sit out of the Syndey Test as the team needed an in-form opener in what is a series decider.
“It’s not any of the three (laughs.) I stood down. I will say one thing and it will have 50 interpretations. I had a chat with the coach and the selector was very simple. I am not making runs at the moment. I am not in form and it’s an important game. We need an in-form player. Our batting order isn’t in form at the moment. So out of form players can’t carry the team at the moment. So this was the simple thing in my mind. It was my understanding that I should tell the coach and the selector and they backed my call,” said Rohit in an interview to Star Sports during the Lunch break on Day 2.
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I’m not going anywhere (laughs),” said Rohit. “This is not a decision of retirement. I am not moving away from this game. But I took a decision to step away from this game because I was not able to score runs with the bat. There is no guarantee that I will score runs two months or five months from now. I have seen a lot of cricket, every minute, every second and everyday life changes. I believe that things will change but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. People sitting in the commentary box, or writing with a laptop in their hands, will not decide how my life goes.
“I have played the game for so long, that they will not decide when I play, how I play, when I captain, or when I step down. I am a sensible person, a matured person, father of two kids, I have some brain, and I know what I want from my life,” Rohit added.
Meanwhile, Rohit is expected to be part of the ODI squad when India take on England from February 6.
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