Nagpur, February 6 and Rohit Sharma – does the association strike a chord? The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium was the venue of his heartbreak then, in 2010. Circa 2025, and Nagpur is set to host the India ODI captain at a time when his international career is at crossroads. Yes, it’s coincidental that the first ODI between India and England here is on February 6. But the date allows the opportunity of a throwback.
On that dreaded February 6 morning 15 years ago, Rohit had hurt his ankle during a practice session 15 minutes before the start of a Test against South Africa that was set to be his debut. He had to wait another three years to play his first Test. But Nagpur hasn’t always been unkind to him. It is the place (Bansod near Nagpur) where he was born before his family shifted base to Mumbai. And the VCA Stadium has always opened its heart and hearth to the son of the soil.
Rohit boasts a Test average of 82.33, including two hundreds, at this venue. His ODI average here is 68.00, embellished with a century. The 37-year-old needs to draw inspiration from the past to take care of his present and the future.
On Tuesday, as the Indian team hit the nets, a picture of Rohit went viral on social media. Images can be photoshopped, but going by how it appeared, the skipper looked a bit out of shape. Close on its heels popped up another image – Virat Kohli flexing his biceps. The keyboard warriors from both sides – the Rohitians and the Viratians – sprung into action and turned social media into social disgrace.
Kohli, too, is walking a tightrope, but ODI is a different format and he is not at the receiving end of the trickle-down effect of his red-ball failure as yet, unlike Rohit. The latter probably can’t afford to fail, especially in the Champions Trophy. Before that he will have to use the three-match series against England as a springboard to set himself up for the ICC event.
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India’s previous ODI series was six months ago in Sri Lanka and amid the batting implosions, and a series defeat, Rohit was the sole exception. He scored 157 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 144.44. His high-octane batting approach, en vogue since the 2023 World Cup, has served him very well in white-ball cricket, although it has affected his defensive game in Tests. A return to the ODI fold might make his mind uncluttered and allow him to move into a better headspace. Fielding restrictions in the shorter formats could work to his advantage.
“I think both Rohit and Virat, they add so much value to the dressing room,” Gautam Gambhir had parped at the BCCI annual awards a few days ago. “They add so much value to Indian cricket as well. They have got to play a massive role in the Champions Trophy.”
The head coach added: “I have said it before as well, those guys are so hungry, they want to play for the country. They have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country.”
Irrespective of how their dressing-room equation was in Australia, the coach and the captain need to be on the same page for India to have a successful Champions Trophy campaign. For Rohit, this ODI team is his baby and he should assert his authority. To do that, however, he needs runs under his belt.
It’s probably now or never.
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