Gautam Gambhir rejects request to let Rohit Sharma play in Sydney and retire

With his return to bat slowing since September and speculation surrounding his future and place in India’s Test team continuing, captain Rohit Sharma was on the eve of his fifth and final Test match against Australia. He reportedly “opted out” of playing in the eleven. Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series. Rohit, who scored just 31 runs in the series and had the worst average (6.20) for an Australian touring captain, will be replaced by Shubman Gill, while KL Rahul is expected to open in Sydney.

Media reports in the evening said it was Rohit who had “informed coach Gautam Gambhir and selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar of his decision to opt out” and that both former cricketers agreed to the call. However, according to a new report from the same news agency, PTI has hinted that it was rather at Gambhir’s behest that Gambhir prioritized a win in Sydney and tried to demote the 37-year-old, which would not only help India stay, but would also help India stay on the border. – He has not only won the Gavaskar Trophy, but also kept alive a dark chance to reach the final of the World Test Championship for the third year in a row.

According to the report, Mr Gambhir was asked by “many respected and influential cricket administrators within the BCCI” to “allow Mr Rohit to appear in the Sydney match and withdraw from the Test arena”. It is said that he was requested to do so. However, the head coach rejected pleas to guarantee that India would win in Sydney and qualify for the WTC finals.

What did Gambhir say about Rohit in the pre-match presser?

At a rather tense press conference held in Sydney ahead of the series decider, Gambhir, who had replaced Rohit at a scheduled media event, confirmed that he would be playing in place of the Indian captain in the final match. remained cautious.

When asked why Rohit did not attend the press conference, the former Indian cricketer said: The head coach is there. That should be fine. That’s enough. We will look at the wickets tomorrow and make a final decision (on the starting lineup).”

Asked whether Rohit will be selected in the best XI in Sydney, Gambhir said: “I just looked at the wicket and said I will announce the playing XI tomorrow.” The answer remains the same. ”

Rohit was near the nets on Thursday, but the speculation seemed a little more plausible as the 37-year-old did not feature in the cordon as India were conducting fielding drills at the SCG.