Rohit Sharma was given an advice by legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar to bat for a longer time rather than focusing solely on getting the team off to a fast start. Head coach Gautam Gambhir defended Rohit's strategy after India defeated Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal, stating that the star batter is evaluated on "impact" rather than his stats. The statement did not impress Gavaskar, who stated that a batsman like Rohit should be able to take the game away from his opponents if he is at the crease for 25 to 30 overs.
Gavaskar on Rohit
"This is an approach he has been following for the last two years or so. It started around the World Cup in India, and he has been sticking to that formula. He has had some success, though perhaps not as much as his talent should warrant. He is an incredibly talented player with a range of shots that not many others in the game possess," Gavaskar told India Today.
"Therefore, from an aesthetic point of view, from a crowd-pleasing perspective, I am not speaking from the team's point of view. He bats for even 25 overs, India will be around 180-200. Imagine if they have lost only a couple of wickets by then; just think what they could do-they could reach 350 or more," he added.
Gavaskar continued by saying that Rohit should have a far bigger effect on his team and not be content with just 25–30 runs
"He also needs to give it some thought. It's one thing to go out and play aggressively, but there has to be a bit of discretion somewhere to give himself the chance to bat for 25-30 overs. If he does that, he takes the game away from the opposition. That kind of impact is match-winning. And I think, as a batter, are you happy with scoring 25-30 runs? You shouldn't be! So that is what I would say to him: your impact on the team will be even greater if you bat for 25 overs instead of just seven, eight, or nine overs," he said.
The Indian team will now face New Zealand in the Final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams have faced each other twice in an ICC tournament Final, and the BlackCaps came out victorious on both occasions.
In their previous clash which was also the final group game of the mega tournament, the Men in Blue managed top get the better of New Zealand and pull off a big win. Later, India defeated Australia in the semi-final and the Kiwis beat South Africa.