End of Rohit Sharma's international career!! BCCI removes all close mates from team India

Abhishek Nayar, who was recently removed as Team India’s assistant coach by the BCCI, had been mentoring Indian captain Rohit Sharma. After his stint with the national team, Nayar returned to his role with Kolkata Knight Riders, but his contributions to Rohit’s resurgence have made an impact in IPL 2025.

Rohit faced criticism for a series of poor performances. However, he bounced back with a match-winning 76 off just 45 deliveries in Mumbai Indians' (MI) nine-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 20. Following the knock, Sharma thanked Abhishek Nayar and wrote “Thanks Bro!” on Instagram.

Rohit Sharma Thanked Abhishek Nayar After a Stunning Performance against CSK

According to a report by Cricbuzz, Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar have been working closely together for a considerable period. The two were seen training together at the Mumbai Cricket Association's BKC facility a day before the Mumbai Indians' (MI) clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, April 17.

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It is worth mentioning that Nayar had joined the Indian national team as assistant coach when Gautam Gambhir took charge as head coach. However, his tenure lasted only eight months before the BCCI decided to part ways with him. Nayar returned to the Kolkata Knight Riders’ support staff for the IPL 2025.

BCCI Removes Rohit Sharma's Close Associates from Indian Team Staff

The report added that Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar have been working together both before and during the ongoing IPL season. It was previously reported that Rohit plans to continue his career until the 2027 World Cup, and he has teamed up with Nayar to focus on improving his fitness and batting.

Nayar, who is respected for his modern coaching methods, may have been held accountable for the Indian batters' underwhelming performances during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series in Australia. Following this, Sitanshu Kotak was appointed as the new batting coach for the national team.

Apart from Nayar, fielding coach T Dilip, strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai, and masseur Arun Kanade were also dismissed. All four are believed to have been close to Rohit.

Big Shout-Out to Abhishek Nayar - KL Rahul

Several Indian players, including Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma, have praised Abhishek Nayar for his coaching. KL Rahul continues to work with Nayar when he's not involved in active cricket. Rahul praised the former India and Mumbai all-rounder for his guidance.

"Big shout out to Abhishek Nayar. I've worked a lot with him ever since he's come into the Indian team," Rahul had said after a match-winning knock for Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam recently.

"We've spent hours and hours together talking about my white ball game and how I can be better. We've worked hours and hours together in Bombay, and I think somewhere I've found the fun in playing white-ball cricket."

Also read: Rohit Sharma should look at himself in the mirror" - Australia Skipper's full-blown attack