Selfish Rohit Sharma! Ex-cricketer accuses India captain of playing for himself in Cuttack ODI

Former India National Cricket Team batter Sanjay Manjrekar has claimed that the skipper Rohit Sharma played for himself in the second ODI against England National Cricket Team.

Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Rohit Sharma was a little more cautious than usual at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack as he wanted to hit a century in the match.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma surpasses Rahul Dravid, Chris Gayle; Full list of records broken after Cuttack ODI heroics

Rohit Sharma shines with a terrific ton

The Indian skipper shined with a stunning century in the second ODI against the Jos Buttler-led England National Cricket Team. Rohit was at his best as he played some marvelous shots and took the English bowlers to the cleaners.

After going through a lean patch in international cricket for over 15 innings, Rohit returned to form with a bang and completed his half-century in the match off just 30 balls.

Then, he set his eyes on the big score and made a bit of a change in his approach as he cut down some aggression and played cautiously.

Although Rohit Sharma didn't unleash his beast mode, he managed to complete his century off just 76 balls. His innings ended at the score of 119 runs off 90 balls in the 30th over after he mistimed a full toss from Liam Livingstone and was caught by Adil Rashid.

With his innings, Rohit Sharma created several records, and he shut down his critics who were questioning his place in the ODI team ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

This one was more for himself - Sanjay Manjrekar

Despite Rohit Sharma batting with a great strike rate, Sanjay Manjrekar reckoned that the Indian skipper played more for himself than the team.

Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, he said that Rohit 'wasn't as attacking as he was during the World Cup' as he wanted to reach the triple-figure mark and lift the monkey off his back.

"People who are big brands in India, they feel that pressure of expectation. It's not just about getting your 40s and 50s that he was doing during the World Cup. Somewhere, there's an expectation of a hundred.

"It's like a certificate of you being in form. This format allows you to take that monkey off your back. You saw the way he did it. He wasn't as attacking as he was during the World Cup," Sanjay Manjrekar said.

"Still, when he decides to pace his innings, it's just incredible how easily he does it. [He was] very selective in the way he played his shots. So, finally, that question was answered. I have a feeling in the next match he will play again in the way that he thought was best for the team.

"This one was more for himself. Obviously, one that wanted the team to win. But this is one that he'll say, this one is for me," he added.

Rohit getting back to his usual self is a great positive - Dodda Ganesh

The former India National Cricket Team pacer Dodda Ganesh was happy to see Rohit getting back to his very best in ODI cricket.

He took to X.com to state that the Indian skipper scoring big is a great positive for the team heading into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

"Clinical series win for India. Rohit getting back to his usual self is a great positive for team India before the #ChampionsTrophy," the former India National Cricket Team pacer stated.

Clinical series win for India. Rohit getting back to his usual self is a great positive for team India before the #ChampionsTrophy

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) February 9, 2025