'When it comes to the World Cup, you can't have a family commitment': Ex-India captain slams Rohit Sharma for missing 1st ODI

Team India captain Rohit Sharma missed the first of three ODIs during the recently-concluded series against Australia.

SportsTak

• Thu • 23 Mar 2023

Team India captain Rohit Sharma missed the first of three ODIs during the recently-concluded series against Australia. The reason behind Hitman not being part of the first match in Mumbai was that he had 'family commitments'. Even though the Men in Blue managed to beat the Baggy Greens at the Wankhede Stadium, former India skipper and legendary batter, Sunil Gavaskar was not impressed by Rohit's decision to prioritise family over the national team.

Gavaskar came down hard on Rohit and opined that in a World Cup year, family commitment is no excuse for a team's captain to miss a game unless it's an emergency.

“I think he needs to play every game. You can't have a captain who is there for one match and not there for the rest. It is so important. It can happen to any other player. I know it was a family commitment, so he had to be there. That's understandable,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“When it comes to the World Cup, you can't have a family commitment; it's as simple as that. Maybe before that, finish everything that you have unless it's an emergency. Emergency is something completely different.”

“You need continuity in leadership. There's a feeling that you have got everybody with you, otherwise there are two leaders. Then there are two leaders that the team is looking at,” Gavaskar added.

Meanwhile, the 50-over World Cup is scheduled to be held in India later in the year. Playing at home, the Men in Blue will be under tremendous pressure to lift the World Cup trophy and end their decade-long ICC trophy drought. India last won the ODI World Cup in 2011 under MS Dhoni's leadership. Overall, India have won two ODI World Cup titles, the first one coming under Kapil Dev's captaincy in 1983.

If one has to go by the recently-concluded ODI series between India and Australia, then it is clear that the Men in Blue are still a work in progress. India's batting line-up looked extremely fragile against a quality Aussie attack. There are still a few months to go for the quadrennial mega event and Team India would look to iron out its flaws.