December 11, 2024: Veteran cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara recently expressed his thoughts on the form of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, acknowledging the importance of his return to form for both his personal game and leadership.
Speaking in an interview with Star Sports, Pujara reflected on India’s disappointing 10-wicket defeat to Australia in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Adelaide. With the series now tied 1-1, Pujara highlighted that Rohit’s form could play a crucial role in India’s chances for the remainder of the series.
Rohit Sharma, who has been struggling with form, managed to score only nine runs across two innings in the Adelaide Test. Pujara emphasized that for Rohit to regain confidence, he must focus on building a solid start in his innings, targeting a steady 20 or 30 runs before capitalizing on it to score bigger. “I would like Rohit Sharma to come back to form as soon as possible, because when he scores runs, it will affect his captaincy as well,” Pujara said. “When a captain is out of form, it affects his captaincy too.”
Pujara, known for his methodical approach to batting, advised that Rohit, an experienced player, knows how to score runs but needs to focus on getting a good start to overcome his recent slump. “Rohit Sharma is an experienced player. He knows how to score runs when batting. He is going through some bad form, but even there, a start is very important for him,” he added.
Pujara’s comments underscore the significance of form and mental focus in a captain’s performance, especially in challenging conditions like the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where every run can make a significant impact on the team’s fortunes.
