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Team India’s ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma has been out of form in the recent past, amassing 166 runs in 16 innings across formats. After a poor run in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-24 down under, Rohit Sharma looked out of touch in the first ODI against England in Nagpur as he was dismissed off two runs.
Seeing this, it looks something is not right with the Indian cricket team captain, who was once known for his prolific hitting. Keeping these things in mind, it will be crucial for Rohit Sharma to return to form, especially seeing the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 set to be played in a few days time in Pakistan and the UAE.
I hope he returns to form quickly: Kapil Dev’s blunt message for Rohit Sharma
With the Champions Trophy 2025 proving as an acid test for the Indian skipper, former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup winning captain, Kapil Dev also shared a blunt message for the Indian veteran. Speaking on Cricket Adda’s YouTube channel, Kapil Dev said, "He is a big player. I hope he returns to form quickly. I will say good luck to the coach. It takes time to settle in. The whole country is looking forward to the side's performance.”
“In the recent times, the side played well for some time. The team looks unsettled. When the captain's form is poor, the team has problems," he continued. "The team has not done well, it's justified that the fans are angry. When these players came back after winning the T20 World Cup, the crazy scenes, I have never seen in my life. So, when they do bad, criticism follows. That's what I say, don't praise the players so much, that they can't handle. And then criticise them below the belt. This is my thought," he further added.
Moreover, Dev was also asked about the fitness concerns looming over Jasprit Bumrah, who is currently at the National cricket Academy in Bengaluru. “There is no doubt about that. In the last two years, no other fast bowler has had so much impact. When a big player like Bumrah, Anil Kumble gets unfit, it does impact the team. I hope he recovers soon enough,” Kapil Dev told.
India’s squad for ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (Subject to fitness), Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk) and Ravindra Jadeja.
