Rohit Sharma played like a ‘survivor’, the surprising style of the hitman, where he started as an opener, will end there?

New Delhi. The land of England where Rohit Sharma started his journey as an opener, the country where he made the record of scoring 5 centuries in a World Cup, today no fan would have liked to see the hitman struggling to score runs. The name of ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma is recorded in the history of world cricket as a batsman who, when he stays at the crease, demoralizes the bowlers. There are millions of fans of his smooth batting, timing and ability to play pull shots.

Cricket is a game of uncertainties, and the clock can turn at any time. Recently, the form of Rohit Sharma seen in the series being played on the soil of England has surprised and worried every Indian cricket lover and expert. The batsman who was seen ruling the crease is struggling to score runs today.

‘Survivor’ becomes hitman at the crease

Rohit Sharma, who has always dominated the bowlers on the cricket field, is looking like a ‘survivor’ (fighting for survival) in the current series. Forget about scoring runs from his bat, it is difficult to even make contact between the ball and the bat. If we look at the statistics and his body language on the field, it becomes clear that Rohit is going through the most difficult phase of his career: In the first match of the series, Rohit played 21 balls, but only 11 runs came off his bat. The situation looked even worse in the second match played in Cardiff, where he faced only 26 runs from 47 balls. He missed two catches during the match, which is a direct indication of his declining concentration and poor form.

Big signals coming from bad form

Rohit’s strongest weapon ‘pull shot’ has left him this time. A fast ball hit him straight on the head (helmet), which shows that he is constantly making mistakes in sensing short-pitched balls. This kind of batting of Rohit Sharma does not seem to be just a temporary bad form, but it is indicating something deep and serious. With increasing age, the reflexes of batsmen start slowing down. Rohit getting beaten on short balls is an indication of this. The effect of the pressure of continuous international cricket and captaincy is now clearly visible on his game, Rohit’s footwork looks very sluggish on the swinging and seaming pitches of England.

Will the journey end there from where it began?

This can be a very emotional and bittersweet coincidence. In the year 2013, during the Champions Trophy on the soil of England, Rohit Sharma started his new journey as an opener in ODI cricket for the first time. That one decision of MS Dhoni changed Rohit’s career and he became the most dangerous opener in the world. Today, exactly 13 years later, Rohit is standing on the same soil of England. Look at the cycle of fate that the country which gave birth to him as a great opener, today seems to be witnessing the end of his glorious journey. This poor form is indicating that perhaps the last chapter of Hitman’s ODI career is near. Cricket lovers will hope that the Hitman overcomes this difficult phase and returns to his usual form but if this struggle continues, then the selectors and Rohit himself may have to take a tough and big decision on his ODI future.