January 17, 2025: Former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has come to the defense of India’s Test captain, Rohit Sharma, despite the team’s recent struggles under his leadership, including two consecutive series losses to New Zealand and Australia. While Rohit’s captaincy has faced some criticism following these setbacks, Yuvraj emphasized that Rohit’s overall leadership record speaks for itself and deserves recognition.
Yuvraj acknowledged Rohit’s past achievements, including leading India to a T20 World Cup win, taking the team to the ODI World Cup final, and guiding Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles. He also praised Rohit for stepping down in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to give another captain a chance, a rare and selfless act in cricket leadership. “One tournament can’t decide his leadership,” Yuvraj said. “For me, the series defeat at home was more disappointing. India losing 3-0 against New Zealand was tougher,” he added, referring to the recent home series loss to New Zealand as a bigger blow than the team’s struggles against Australia.
Rohit’s leadership has certainly had a mix of highs and lows. Under his captaincy, India enjoyed a ten-match winning streak in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, only to lose to Australia in the final. India also clinched the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup under his guidance, and he led the team to the ICC World Test Championship final in 2023, though they lost to Australia.
However, since mid-2024, Rohit’s form as both a batter and captain has been under scrutiny. In the 2024/25 Test season, Rohit struggled with the bat, scoring just 164 runs in eight matches at a dismal average of 10.93, with a best score of 52. His poor form continued during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he only managed 31 runs in three Tests. These struggles culminated in his decision to opt out of the final Test in Sydney.
Rohit’s leadership record in Tests in 2024 also saw a decline, with India losing six Tests, including four at home, leaving him with a captaincy record of 12 wins, nine losses, and three draws. Despite the recent difficulties, Yuvraj believes that Rohit’s leadership merits patience, and he should be given more time to turn things around.