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Sourav Ganguly believes the world would see a ‘different’ Rohit Sharma when the 2025 Champions Trophy starts.
Rohit Sharma is one of India’s highest run-scorers in the Champions Trophy (Picture Credit: AP)
Former India captain and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly believes the world would see a ‘different’ Rohit Sharma in the 2025 Champions Trophy, compared to the one struggling for returns in Tests.
Apart from the 2024 T20 World Cup title, Rohit had an underwhelming last year. He struggled for runs in the IPL, could score just one fifty in the three Tests against New Zealand at home and then managed only 31 runs in five innings against Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“Rohit Sharma in white-ball cricket is phenomenal, you’ll see a different Rohit Sharma once the Champions Trophy starts,” Ganguly said during the felicitation ceremony of Bengal U-15 women players organized by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
Rohit is India’s fifth-highest run-scorer in the Champions Trophy with 481 runs at an average of 53.44 and a strike rate of 82.50 between 2013-2017. His best score in the competition is 123*.
Rohit’s struggles in Australia seemed to be stemming from a lack of trust in his defense against the seaming new ball. It’s a problem he’d probably not face in the Champions Trophy against the white ball on flatter tracks.
‘India is a contender for Champions Trophy’: Sourav Ganguly
Ganguly added that he thinks India are a ‘contender’ to win the Champions Trophy, though the team, especially the batting department, needs to put much more work to find success in Test cricket away from home.
“India is one of the contenders for the Champions Trophy, especially after the performances in the 50-overs and the T20 World Cup. But Test cricket is something they have to work on, especially when they go away from home… Come the red ball, come the seaming and swinging pitches, they’ll have to bat a bit better,” Ganguly said.
“I have always said that if you score 350-400 runs in the first innings of a Test away from home, you get yourself in a position to win Test matches. But if you are getting out for less than 200, you are always fighting from behind.”
India’s Champions Trophy campaign starts against Bangladesh on February 20. Before that, the team will play three ODIs against England at home.
