It has been a turbulent time for Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma during the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 tour of Australia. The series proved to be challenging for Rohit, as he struggled with both batting and captaincy, contributing to India’s 1-3 loss in the series. After missing the first Test, Rohit joined the team for the second match, but his performance in Australia mirrored his disappointing showing against New Zealand. Rohit could only score 31 runs across three Tests, maintaining an average of just 6.00.
As a result of this underwhelming performance, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticized Rohit Sharma’s batting and leadership, even suggesting that the Test captaincy be handed over to another player. Gavaskar’s comments came after Rohit’s absence from the Sydney Test, where he struggled with form and leadership. The criticism sparked tensions, and according to reports from Cricblogger, Rohit Sharma was deeply upset by Gavaskar’s remarks. Feeling the criticism was unfair, Rohit reportedly filed a formal complaint against Sunil Gavaskar with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Rohit’s Complaint and External Pressure
A source close to the matter revealed that Rohit Sharma felt the criticism was harsh and unjustified, which led him to address the matter with the BCCI. The ongoing pressure from such criticism, especially during the high-stakes series, led to Rohit’s decision to lodge a complaint. The source also mentioned that Gavaskar’s earlier comment on Rishabh Pant’s poor shot selection during the Melbourne Test contributed to the mounting stress on players. In this instance, Gavaskar had called Pant “stupid” for attempting an aggressive shot that led to his dismissal, remarking, “Stupid, stupid, stupid” during the ABC Sports commentary. Pant, who was batting on 28, tried to hit a delivery from Scott Boland over the boundary but was caught by Nathan Lyon.
Gavaskar’s Controversial Comments on Rishabh Pant
Sunil Gavaskar’s outburst came during the first innings of the Melbourne Test, where Rishabh Pant’s shot selection was heavily criticized. Gavaskar expressed his frustration, saying, “How can you still play shots like that when there are two fielders there? You couldn’t even play the previous shot properly. It’s a kind of throwing away your wickets.”
Conclusion
The tension between Rohit Sharma and Sunil Gavaskar highlights the growing pressure on Indian cricketers, with some questioning the extent to which former players should criticize current players during live matches. With BCCI now involved, the future of such public criticisms may come under further scrutiny.
