Irfan Pathan's straightforward opinion: Rohit Sharma's playing XI spot could be in jeopardy without captaincy

India captain Rohit Sharma has been facing challenges with his form, as the right-handed batsman has been struggling to score runs in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite showing glimpses of his batting prowess in the second innings of the Melbourne Test against Australia, where he faced 40 balls, he was eventually dismissed for just 9 runs by Pat Cummins. It seems like Rohit Sharma is still trying to find his rhythm and make a significant impact in the series.

After India stumbled to an 184-run loss against Australia in Melbourne, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan did not mince his words while assessing the form of Rohit, who averages just a tad over 24 in 2024 in Tests.

Irfan Pathan said Rohit Sharma's place in the playing XI would not have been assured if he was not the captain. Across five innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit has scored 31 runs at an average of 6.20.

Rohit Sharma started 2024 on a positive note, scoring an impressive 400 runs in the five-match series against England. However, his form has nosedived in Tests since then.

"A player who has made about 20,000 runs—yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all. What’s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team," Irfan Pathan told Star Sports.

"KL Rahul would have been playing at the top. Jaiswal would have been there. Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI," he added.

Rohit's return as an opener doesn't pay off

In the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests, Rohit Sharma played in the middle order, as KL Rahul performed exceptionally well in the series opener in Perth, scoring 26 and 77.

However, Rohit's below-par returns in both these Tests led to his return to his position as an opener. KL Rahul played at No.3 in Melbourne, with Shubman Gill warming the bench.

The move did not pay off as Rohit could not get going, scoring 3 and 9 in the Melbourne Test.

Speaking further about Rohit, Irfan Pathan said, "But because he is the captain, and you want to win the next match to draw the series, he stays in the team. But his form is so poor. Even in India, even before coming here, he wasn’t scoring runs, and he still hasn’t scored runs."

"This is a very disappointing scene when I see Rohit Sharma batting. Because whenever I see Rohit Sharma batting, I always want to see him bat. Whether it is test cricket or one-day cricket, But now, his form, the way he is going forward, whether it is his mindset or the coordination with his body, I can't see that at all," he added.

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