Rohit Sharma disrespected with 'stand-up comedian' statement and warning by Simon Katich

Rohit Sharma's Test career is facing serious questions after a string of underwhelming performances, leaving fans and cricket experts wondering if the Indian skipper still has what it takes in the longest format of the game following his low show on Australian soil.

After Rohit’s horrific run in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, former Australian opener Simon Katich has delivered a blunt reality check, warning that England, with its challenging conditions, will not be the best place for the Indian skipper to regain his lost touch.

Rohit Sharma’s dismal numbers fuel debate over Test career after Australia tour

Katich has pointed out that Rohit Sharma’s recent numbers are alarmingly low, as he ended the 2024–25 season with just 164 runs in eight Tests, averaging a mere 10.93. His dismal run continued on the Australia tour, where he managed just 31 runs across three matches before opting to rest for the fifth and final Test in Sydney, where India lost the game by six wickets.

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Simon Katich was quoted as saying by India Today: “Only he knows whether he has the hunger and drive at 37 to go again. England is not going to be an easy series. England is on their way up. They have some good young quicks coming through. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse are doing well.”

Test cricket isn’t a place for 37-year-olds: Simon Katich

Furthermore, Katich has raised doubts about Rohit Sharma's future in Test cricket, especially with a challenging tour to England ahead. The cricket pundit has pointed out that at 37, opening the batting in Test matches is tough and emphasized that only Rohit can decide if he still has the drive for that.

The Aussie added, “I dare say that will be a tough tour if he chooses to go on it and the Indian selectors pick him, first and foremost. Those numbers are not for pretty reading. Test cricket isn’t a place for 37-year-olds at the top of the order. History suggests that, and only Rohit Sharma knows whether he has got the hunger to go on.”

Recently, Rohit Sharma made it clear that he is not planning to retire from Tests anytime soon. The 37-year-old slammed his critics by expressing confidence that his Test form will improve in the next five months. He had said, “Some person is sitting with a mic, laptop, or a pen and writing stuff; our lives do not change because of what that person is writing or saying.”

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Simon Katich jokes that Rohit Sharma has a great career in stand-up comedy

Reacting to Rohit’s statement, Simon Katich jokingly suggested that the Indian opener will have a great future as a stand-up comedian once he retires from the game because his humor is very good.

Katich signed off by saying, “Well, if you look at the numbers, they are damning. We saw it in this Test. It was very selfless of him to opt out of the Test. I saw in that interview, very well-spoken. There’s no doubt he has a future after he is done playing cricket in stand-up comedy because his humor was very good.”