'Rohit Sharma would've been selfish...' - Ravichandran Ashwin drops colossal statement

Recently-retired veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin showered praise on Rohit Sharma's leadership ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Ravichandran Ashwin said that Rohit Sharma prioritizes the team over personal milestones, describing him as one of the most selfless cricketers he's played with.

Rohit has been under scrutiny for his captaincy in recent months. The 37-year-old was heavily criticized following India’s disappointing results in the Test series against New Zealand at home and Australia in away conditions. However, he has earned praise for his strong performance in white-ball formats.

Rohit Sharma Has Let Go of Landmarks to Score Runs - Ravichandran Ashwin

Speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel “Ash Ki Baat,” Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted that Rohit's approach in ODIs reflects his team-first mentality. Ashwin said that Rohit often sacrifices personal milestones to focus on the team's success, especially during powerplays.

“One thing that I admire the most about Rohit Sharma is that he is not selfish at all. He is one of the most selfless cricketers. If he would have been selfish, he would never have batted the way he is batting in the ODIs. He wouldn’t go after everything in the powerplay. So many times he has let go the landmarks to score runs,” Ashwin said.

“I have massive respect for Rohit Sharma. I am also very happy for Rohit and I’m doubly glad that he is showing that this is the way forward. He is like I have scored runs but its business as usual. My one-day form was good. Let’s talk about other players, who has made an impact. I love that quality of Rohit Sharma,” he added.

Rohit Has Shown The Way For You - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin said that the game has evolved and added that the game is bigger than any one player. He also shared a lesson from Sachin Tendulkar, who learned from his brother’s advice to be a team player after a mishap with VVS Laxman.

“The thing is that game has changed and evolved. It is important to realise that the game is bigger than all of us,” said Ashwin.

“I was watching an interview of Sachin Tendulkar where he spoke about the runout mishap between him and VVS Laxman. He spoke how his brother taught him an important lesson about the way he responded after getting out. Ajit Tendulkar scolded him for his reaction and told him how he should be a team man. It is the same thing here too. Rohit has showed the way for you."

Rohit Sharma Returned To Form Ahead Of Champions Trophy

India recently whitewashed England 3-0 in their ODI series, with Rohit Sharma returning to form by scoring a century in the second game in Cuttack. However, he was dismissed for single-digit scores in the other two matches. The series ended with a dominant 142-run victory in Ahmedabad on February 12.

India now shift focus to the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19. The Men in Blue will play their first match against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai. Their next two group-stage matches will be against Pakistan and New Zealand. If they qualify, India will play knockout matches in Dubai.

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