"Getting too caught up in..." - Sanjay Manjrekar namedrops 'MS Dhoni' in advice to Rohit Sharma

As the IND vs ENG five-match Test series is leveled at 1-1 after the first two games, Indian captain Rohit Sharma is yet to find his form. Sharma has only scored 90 runs from two games at an average of 22.50. Rohit has been able to get starts but has failed to convert it into big scores. Rohit Sharma was in decent form ahead of the Test series and smashed a century against Afghanistan in the third T20I match in January.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Rohit Sharma is getting too caught up in trying to create an impact as a leader. Manjrekar added that Rohit is a batsman first and a captain later. Manjrekar further said that Rohit Sharma shall try and do the right things and also mark the words of MS Dhoni.

I just wonder whether Rohit Sharma is getting too caught up – Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar said to ESPNcricinfo, “I just wonder whether Rohit Sharma is getting too caught up in trying to make an impact as a leader. It’s got to be Rohit Sharma the batter first and then the captain because when you’re captain, most things are beyond your control. Try and do the right things and hold the words of MS Dhoni. You do the process and wait for things to happen, but batting is something that’s within his control very much.”

Ever since Rohit Sharma became the captain of India, the side has witnessed good success in Test cricket. In his 2.5 years of captaincy career, India have become the number-ranked team in Test cricket and have also played the final of the World Test Championship 2023. Rohit made a blast entry in Test cricket and scored back-to-back hundreds in back-to-back Tests. Rohit’s last century in Tests came against West Indies in July 2023. Rohit Sharma will be hoping to once again return to his old form in Tests and aim to score some runs in the third Test against England.

Apart from his heroics in Test cricket, Rohit Sharma was also the second-highest run-getter in the ODI World Cup 2023. Rohit finished the tournament with 597 runs from 16 games, including a century against Afghanistan, making him the second-highest run-scorer. Even though they had won ten straight games, India were unable to take home the trophy.

The third Test match of the IND vs ENG Test series will be played from February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. The Indian cricket team has a lot of problems in its bag ahead of the third Test match. The form of Shreyas Iyer is a major concern for the Indian team. Iyer has not been able to click with the bat in the first two Tests and there is also a spot of bother behind his position in the third Test.

The Indian team management shall bring in Sarfaraz Khan in his place on the basis of his brilliant domestic performance. Another major problem is the inexperienced middle order due to which the Indian team have not been able to bat as per its full potential.