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India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said he sees ‘no issues’ with Rohit Sharma’s form, citing his ODI performances from 2023 over the Test lean patch.
Rohit Sharma is going through a rough patch. (BCCI Photo)
India men’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak doesn’t see ‘any issues’ with skipper Rohit Sharma’s underwhelming batting form in the last six months. Speaking in a press conference on Saturday, he cited Rohit’s recent ODI numbers, including from the three matches against Sri Lanka in 2023 where he hit two 50s in a lost series, to say that he has just had a Test ‘lean patch’ after some consistent ODI performances.
India played their first ODI since that 2023 series on Thursday, the first of a three-match rubber against England in Kolkata. Rohit got out for just 2 (7), getting a leading edge off a flick against Saqib Mahmood. It extended his run without a fifty to 13 innings, across Tests, the Ranji Trophy and ODIs.
“I personally don’t see any issue with his form. In his last three ODIs, Rohit has scored 56, 64, and 35,” Kotak said on the eve of the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, as quoted by PTI. “That means he has been averaging over 50 in those matches. We are talking about a player who has 31 ODI centuries. When someone keeps scoring, no one questions when they will fail.”
“Sometimes, a player might have a lean patch, but that doesn’t worry me. Yes, in the Australia Test matches, it was tough, and he got out early, but in ODIs, he has been performing consistently. So, there’s no real concern about his form.”
These are the last ODIs for India before the 2025 Champions Trophy begins on February 19 in Pakistan and the UAE (which will host all of India’s matches).
Plenty of positives from 1st ODI: Kotak
Kotak also spoke about the ‘plenty of positives’ he saw in the first ODI, including contributions from the middle-order of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.
“We lost two early wickets, but there were plenty of positives, especially how our No. 3, 4, and 5 batted. Two big partnerships stood out. Gill, Shreyas, and Axar all played really well,” he said.
“In any match, you might lose wickets, whether it’s the openers or the middle order. But overall, as a batting unit, we showed great intent. Even when the required rate was nearly 9-10 runs per over, we didn’t let them gain control,” he added.
