April 18, 2025: India’s ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma has finally revealed the story behind his now-famous ‘Koi Garden Mein Nahi Ghoomega’ dialogue, which was caught on the stump mic during the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam in February 2024.
The moment occurred when Rohit was seen motivating his players to show more energy on the field, urging them to stay focused. The line quickly became synonymous with the star Indian batter after being broadcasted during the match. More than a year after the incident, Rohit shared the real reason behind the iconic words.
Recalling the moment, Rohit revealed that during a crucial phase of the game, he noticed his players walking lazily between overs, as if they were strolling in a garden. He observed that the players weren’t showing enough urgency despite the fact that India needed to step up their game.
“It was in Vizag, I saw the over ended and the players were leisurely walking as if they were in a garden. No one was running, there was no urgency in the field. I was fielding in the slip, we had spinners bowling from both ends. The game was hanging by a loose thread, it was an important game, we had to win. I had told the players in the morning that we need to put in some extra effort but they were having fun in the ground,” Rohit explained on JioHotstar.
The India captain went on to mention that at that stage of the match, India desperately needed a wicket, and the lack of urgency among his players frustrated him.
“I saw it for two-three overs and then said things can’t go on like this, you can’t play cricket like this. Everyone was just going with the flow which annoyed me and then I told everyone not to be like that. A partnership was going on, I was desperate to get a wicket. In such moments everyone needs to put in a collective effort. At that moment, I saw everyone being busy with themselves which I didn’t like,” he added.
The words sparked a memorable moment in cricket history, and India eventually won the match by 106 runs, leveling the five-match series 1-1.
Currently, Rohit Sharma is featuring for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 season, though he’s going through a lean patch in his career.