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India and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has requested BCCI to take a break from the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa. The Mumbai-born player has had a worst IPL season this year where he scored just 268 runs at an average of 19.14 and a strike rate of 120.18. This will be also the first time that Sharma hasn’t scored a half-century in the entire IPL season from 2008.
As reported by InsideSport, Sharma has asked BCCI for a break. The decision to take this break came as the selectors wanted to keep a few senior players in the squad. Similarly, the break would help Sharma get ready for the England tour.
“Yes, Rohit asked for a break and it’s understandable. He played all the games for Mumbai Indians and it takes a toll especially when the team doesn’t do well. We understand that. We want him fresh for the England tour,” a senior BCCI official told.
Addressing Sharma’s form the BCCI official expressed that neither the board nor the selectors are worried. The official was quoted saying, “I don’t think it’s a concern. He has been playing well. A few days of rest and he should be good to go for the England tour.”
“It's only a minor adjustment,” Sharma
While talking to PTI, Rohit Sharma addressed how he is planning to deal with his struggles this season. He talked about how he needs to do a ‘minor adjustment’ and also take care of the mental aspect. He said, “A lot of things that I wanted to do didn't happen. But this has happened with me earlier as well, so it's not something I am going through for the first time.”
“I know cricket doesn't end here; there is a lot of cricket ahead. So I need to take care of the mental aspect and think about how I can return to form and perform. It's only a minor adjustment and I will try to work on that whenever there is some time off.”
Talking about the 2022 season, Rohit added, “It was a bit disappointing season for us as we couldn't execute our plans at the start of the tournament. And we know that in tournaments like the IPL, you have to build that momentum.”
Notably, Mumbai Indians finished last in the points table for the first time in the history of the tournament.