Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar praised Rohit Sharma for openly admitting his struggles with the bat during a candid interview during the fifth and final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.
Rohit Sharma pulled out of the New Year Test against Australia at the SCG because he was out of form and Sanjay Manjrekar welcomed the Indian skipper’s honesty about his poor form with the bat.
Sanjay Manjrekar praises Rohit Sharma’s honesty but questions Sydney’s timing of the interview
However, Manjrekar also questioned whether there was another reason behind Rohit’s decision to talk to broadcasters in the middle of such a crucial SCG Test. The Indian captain’s interview on the second day of the Sydney Test stunned many, especially as he was not part of the 15-member squad for the match against Australia.
During the interview, the Indian captain addressed rumors surrounding his future in Test cricket and denied claims that he has been dropped from the final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Well, Sanjay Manjrekar acknowledged Rohit’s transparency but pointed out that Gautam Gambhir was another reason behind his decision to give an interview during the Sydney Test.
A cricket pundit hinted that Rohit might have wanted to clear the air and set the record straight, especially as Gautam Gambhir got credit for the decision to leave him out of the playing XI.
Gautam Gambhir got all the credit and that’s why Rohit Sharma decided to set the record straight: Sanjay Manjrekar
Speaking on Star Sports, Sanjay Manjrekar said, “But there was another reason why he was doing that interview. To clear the air. Somewhere I think Gambhir got all the credit for the bold call by leaving out Rohit Sharma. He wanted to set the record straight. Let’s be honest.”
Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar slammed Rohit Sharma’s comments about his future in the Indian Test team. The commentator said the retirement was a personal decision, but stressed that decisions on the player’s place in the squad and playing XI would be made by the national selectors. He noted that the president of the national team must determine the future of the players.
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Manjrekar further explained his point of view: “I liked that interview. That first part where he said they can’t have another out-of-form batsman in the XI, and that’s why he gave up. But there were also some other emotions. One thing many players say is that I will decide my future. I have a problem with that. You can decide your future in terms of retirement, but someone else has the task of deciding your future as a player and captain. It’s the chairman of the selectors.”
The cricket expert signed off saying, “You have to respect the hierarchy, no matter how big it is. If the chairman of selectors is strong and believes in the long-term health of Indian cricket, he has the power to decide whether your career should end now or you get a few more matches or more one series. Retirement is in your hands but playing for India is not.”
