Sunil Gavaskar blasts Rohit Sharma, calls for 'continuity in leadeship': 'Such reasons have no place in World Cup year'

Sunil Gavaskar blasts Rohit Sharma, calls for 'continuity in leadeship': 'Such reasons have no place in World Cup year'

The former India skipper was extremely critical of Rohit Sharma during the recently concluded ODI series against Australia for missing the first ODI due to family commitments

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Thursday, March 23, 2023, 05:00 PM IST
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Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar was upset that skipper Rohit Sharma missed the first ODI against Australia due to “family commitments” and said that such reasons have no place in the year of the ODI World Cup. Rohit pulled out of the first ODI as he was attending his brother-in-law's wedding, and Hardik Pandya led the team in the regular skipper's absence. The return of Rohit to the team was not enough for them to win the series, as the visitors won the next two games. Gavaskar was dissatisfied with Rohit's decision and stated that the team requires "continuity in leadership."

"I think he needs to play every game. You can't have a captain who is there for one match and not there for the rest. It is so important. It can happen to any other player. I know it was a family commitment, so he had to be there. That's understandable,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“When it comes to the World Cup, you can't have a family commitment; it's as simple as that. Maybe before that, finish everything that you have unless it's an emergency. Emergency is something completely different.”

“You need continuity in leadership. There's a feeling that you have got everybody with you, otherwise there are two leaders. Then there are two leaders that the team is looking at,” Gavaskar added.

In a thrilling third and final match, Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar turned the match, handing India their first one-day international series defeat at home since 2019.

With the first two balls of the 36th over, left-arm spinner Agar removed the in-form Virat Kohli (54) and the world's top-rated Twenty20 batter Suryakumar Yadav for his third consecutive golden duck, leaving the hosts reeling at 185-6 with a target of 270 to win.

The visitors defeated India by 21 runs after bowling the hosts out for 248 in the final over.

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