Rohit Sharma not serious about his fitness? Indian captain responds

Team India's Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma has opened up on his fitness and longevity in his illustrious career in international cricket. Rohit Sharma emphasized that playing international cricket for 17 years is not easy, and his longevity is a testament to his fitness and mental resilience.

Rohit Sharma made his international debut in an ODI match against Ireland in 2007. He has been a regular part of the Indian white-ball team since the Champions Trophy in 2013. He has scored 19,245 runs for Team India in international cricket at an average of 43.15, with 48 hundreds and 106 fifties.

The 37-year-old batter is currently representing the India national cricket team in the second and final Test of the ongoing series against Bangladesh in Kanpur. It is his 485th match for the Men in Blue in international cricket. He is likely to complete 500 matches for the Indian cricket team early next year.

I Am Close To 500 Game Now For India - Rohit Sharma

Speaking on Jitendra Chouksey's podcast, Rohit Sharma highlighted the importance of mental strength and preparation for longevity in international cricket. He attributed his success to consistent routines, including managing fitness and training his mind.

The 37-year-old batter highlighted that getting ready for matches, both physically and mentally, is crucial. He added that this approach has helped him near the milestone of 500 international games for India, a feat achieved by only a few cricketers globally.

"To play for 17 years and to play nearly, I am close to 500 games now for India internationally. Five hundred games, not a lot of cricketers globally have played," Rohit said.

"To have that longevity, there has to be something about your routine. How you manage your fitness, how you manage your mind, and how you train yourself. And how do you get ready for the game, most importantly."

"At the end of the day, our job is to be 100 percent ready for the game and perform to win games. And then, if you go backward then, in that preparation comes fitness," he added.

Only four Indian cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid, have played 500 or more international matches. Rohit is currently fourth among India's top run-scorers in international cricket. He is behind Tendulkar (34,357), Kohli (26,965), and Dravid (24,064) in the elite list.

Rohit Sharma retired from T20 Internationals after the T20 World Cup 2024 victory in June. However, he remains active in the T20 format through the IPL. He finished his T20I career with 4,231 runs in 159 matches at an average of 31.34 with a strike rate of 140.89, including 5 centuries and 32 fifties.

There are speculations that he may enter the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, with many teams likely to show interest if Mumbai Indians (MI) opt to release him.

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