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Rohit Sharma hell bent on making telling statement in Australia, trains in Mumbai to send warning to Starc, Hazlewood
Rohit Sharma is leaving no stone unturned in trying to be in the best shape possible ahead of the three ODIs against Australia.
After having been stripped of the ODI captaincy, Rohit Sharma will have a lot to prove in the upcoming three-match series against Australia, beginning on October 19 in Perth. The right-hander, who has the record of the highest individual score in ODIs, will look to set the stage on fire against Australia, who have recalled Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood into the squad. The 38-year-old has his task cut out, and now the onus is on him to prove he's still got it and can board the flight to South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe for the 2027 World Cup.
As the upcoming series draws closer, Rohit was seen grinding it out at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Friday morning. The former ODI captain was seen practising against pacers at first, unleashing the vintage pull and cut shots. He was also seen playing inside-out drives.
The experienced Indian batter also practised against spinners, using sweeps and slog sweeps. Rohit was accompanied by Abhishek Nayar, the former assistant coach of the Indian cricket team. The Hitman is leaving no stone unturned in trying to be in the best shape possible for the ODIs against Australia. The upcoming three matches will mark Rohit's first international assignment after the Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.
The squad for the Australia series was announced last week. Shubman Gill took over the reins of the ODI setup from Rohit. This led to several speculations about the future of the former ODI skipper. Ajit Agarkar, Chairman of the selectors, also refrained from giving a clear answer about whether Rohit and Virat Kohli will play in the 2027 World Cup.
Both Rohit and Virat had announced their retirements from T20Is last year after the World Cup win in Barbados. The duo then called time on their Test career earlier this year, just days before the squad announcement for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Rohit sheds weight
According to several reports, Rohit Sharma has shed 8kgs and is looking in the best shape in recent years. Rohit is expected to join the Indian camp in Delhi next week. The entire contingent will then travel Down Under together. Kohli is also slated to arrive in Delhi by the same time.
Earlier this week, Rohit had opened up on playing against Australia after such a long gap. Speaking at the CEAT Awards, he stated that he is geared up for the challenge.
"I love playing against them. I love going to Australia. It’s a very challenging country to play cricket in. People there love the game as well. But certainly, Australia is a different challenge every time they have played against us," said Rohit.
"Having been there now several times, I do understand what to expect. Hopefully, we can go there and do what the Indian team is supposed to do and get the result in our favour," he added.
