The former opening batter of the India side, Navjot Singh Sidhu, has found the decision of the team management ‘bizarre’ to drop their regular Test captain of the side, Rohit Sharma, for the fifth and final red-ball clash of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
Navjot Singh Sidhu claimed that such a move had taken place for the very first time in Indian cricket history and felt that a captain should never be made to sit out of the side. It was Jasprit Bumrah, who walked out for toss in the morning of the SCG New Year’s Test and reckoned that their captain had opted for rest.
Rohit didn’t enjoy a great time in the ongoing series down under, with just 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20 with the help of the best score of ten. In the entire year, his average in the longest format was dropped to 24, despite two centuries and as many fifties, which is the lowest in his entire career.
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“It’s very surprising that today India’s captain Rohit Sharma was kept out of the team. It’s bizarre simply because this has happened for the first time in the history of Indian cricket that a captain has been made to sit out. If you have made someone the leader.” Navjot Singh Sidhu expressed in a video he shared on his ‘X’ handle (formerly known as Twitter).
Navjot Singh Sidhu is not prepared to admit India dropping Rohit Sharma for the Sydney Test
The former opening batter of the blue brigade also explained that Rohit, because of being the pillar of the side in the past in building the side and making them dream alongside becoming the father figure of the youngsters, should have been kept as the leader of the side.
The Nagpur-born came into the series on the back of his poor performance at home against New Zealand, where he notched up 91 Test runs in six innings at an average of 15.15 with the help of just one half-century, which came during the second innings of the series opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
“Either you don’t make the leader or if you have, and that too a great player who has served so much for the country, then whether his form is bad or whatever it’s, these things don’t matter. Captain is not an option that he will opt out of for the sake of the side. It sends the wrong signals.” Navjot Singh Sidhu heightened.
“So I believe whether he has been given the option of sitting out or pushed for it, the management can’t do that. It’s a captain who has built the side, or who has made the side dream, or who has taken the father figure for the youngsters by giving them role and has earned so much respect.” The former member of the Rajya Shobha shed light in the video.
The 61-year-old veteran believes that no matter what has happened in the past, dropping the captain was a wrong decision.
“I think a captain never delinks from his ship, even if it’s a sinking ship. And he is such a respected person. Brother, it’s a wrong decision.” The Patiala-born, Navjot Singh Sidhu, addressed.
“I Have seen Captains like Mark Taylor, Azharuddin, etc. persist as captains for a year despite bad form. Rohit Sharma deserved more respect and faith from the management. Blunder – for a fallen lighthouse is more dangerous than a reef!!” Rohit Sharma concluded.