BGT 2024-25: "The chat that I had with the coach was.." Rohit Sharma reveals conversation with Gautam Gambhir ahead of Sydney test

Rohit Sharma opens up on his decision to sit out of the SCG test.

India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed the discussions he had with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar ahead of the Sydney test.

Jasprit Bumrah came at the toss and said that Rohit decided to “rest” from the fifth BGT 2024-25 test match.

Sharma then appeared for an interview on Star Sports during the lunch break on day 2, where he confirmed that it was his decision to sit out of this test match owing to his dismal form with the bat – he’d scored 31 runs in three tests on this tour of Australia and averaged only 10.9 in his last eight test matches.

I am not in form, this is an important match: Rohit Sharma

Rohit revealed that he made the call to drop himself from the SCG test as it was a must-win game for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and remain alive in the ICC WTC final race while he was in terrible form with the bat.

He said that Gambhir and Agarkar supported his decision and understood him.

“The chat that I had with the coach and the selector was very simple: my bat is not scoring runs, I am not in form, this is an important match, and we need players who are in form. As it is, the boys are not in great form. So I had this simple thought in my mind: we can’t carry out-of-form players,” Rohit said.

“That’s why I thought I should tell the coach and the selector what’s going on in my mind. They backed my decision. They said you have been playing for so many years, you are the best judge of what you are doing.”

Rohit confirmed that “this decision is not a retirement decision,” adding that “I have confidence in me that things can change.”

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