‘Do I still want to be captain?’: Rohit Sharma faces tough questions before England series

With the 2027 ODI World Cup in sight, Rohit Sharma's inconsistent performance raises doubts about his place in the Indian cricket team. Steve Waugh urges him to evaluate his dedication and effort to maintain his role as captain.

Livemint
Updated22 Apr 2025, 08:47 AM IST
Steve Waugh urges Rohit Sharma to not be complacent or relax
Steve Waugh urges Rohit Sharma to not be complacent or relax(Hindustan Times)

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has insisted that India captain Rohit Sharma cannot afford to be "complacent" if he wants to continue leading the Men in Blue and playing for the country. Rohit has already led India to two trophies since taking over from Virat Kohli in 2022, including the T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

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The 'Hitman' of Indian cricket has already made it clear that he wants to play and win the 2027 ODI World Cup for India. However, with the start of a new cycle of the World Test Championship and Rohit's inconsistent form, questions have been raised about his continued presence in the Indian team.

Steve Waugh on Rohit Sharma's future:

Australian legend Steve Waugh, in an interaction with news agency PTI, stated that ‘it is totally’ up to Rohit Sharma on how long he wants to play for the country.

“He is the only one who can solve that problem. He has got to look himself in the mirror and say, do I still want to be captain or play for India? Am I committed? “Am I putting enough time and effort into it? It is a privilege and an honour to play for your country. You can’t be complacent or relax,” Waugh added.

The next WTC cycle begins with the England series in June, for which the BCCI is yet to announce the squad. The last time India played Test cricket was during the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where Rohit decided to exclude himself from the playing eleven in the last test due to poor form.

The Indian captain had returned to form during India's successful Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai, but things seemed to go downhill for him again in the IPL. Rohit failed to score a half-century in the first 7 matches of the season until the match against CSK, where he played a 76-run knock to help Mumbai Indians to their fourth win of the season.

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