Srinagar: Former India batter Suresh Raina has backed Team India skipper Rohit Sharma to hit form before ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the ongoing ODI series vs England.
Be it Test cricket, ODIs or Ranji Trophy, runs seem to have deserted the Indian captain for good. In his 16 innings across formats, Rohit has managed just 166 runs.
Former India batter Suresh Raina said the Jamta track was ideal for Rohit to get back in form, but the opener did not give himself enough time to assess the pace of the wicket.
“I think this wicket would have been a good one for Rohit Sharma’s comeback had he applied himself a bit more,” Raina said on Sports18.
“Now, the team will move to Cuttack, where he could also perform well. If he finds form before the Champions Trophy, then we’ll see a different kind of captain and a different kind of approach from him,” said Raina.
India got off to a winning start courtesy of some fantastic bowling performances by Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Harshit, backed up by Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill’sm fireworks with the bat, but they will be slightly worried about another star batter, Virat Kohli’s fitness. Kohli missed the series opener due to a sore knee.
“That’s why the question of whether Virat Kohli will be fit in time is crucial, because having the top three play together in these two matches before the big tournament is very important,” said Raina.