Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has strongly rubbished retirement rumours after opting to rest out of the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney. The right-handed batter said all he thought about was what the team needed at that stage.
A day before the fifth Test in Sydney, media reports floated that the 37-year-old had opted to rest out of the fixture, with Jasprit Bumrah returning as captain. Rohit had played since the pink-ball Test in Adelaide and managed only 31 runs in the series, causing him to come under plenty of scrutiny.
Speaking to Star Sports on day two in Sydney, here’s what Rohit stated:
“Itni door se aaya hoon, bahar baithne thodi aaya hoon. Match khelna hai aur jeetna hai. Jab se aaya hoon 2007 mein, tab se yehi hai match jeetna hai. Kabhi kabhi aapko samajhna hai agar aap team ko aage nahin rakhte, toh koi fayda nahin hai. Mere bat se run nahin ho rahe hain, form nahin hai, out-of-form players zyaada carry nahin kar sakte. Is time pe team ko kya chahiye tha, yehi thought thi. Yeh koi retirement ka decision nahin hai.”
(I’ve come from so far and not to say outside. I want to play this game and win it for my team. From when we first came here in 2007, it has always been about winning matches. Sometimes you need to understand what the team needs. If you don’t keep up with them, what’s the point. My bats can’t run, there’s lack of form. Out-of-form players cannot carry much. It was a difficult decision to make. What the team needed at this time. That’s all I had in my mind. This is no retirement.)
