Rohit Faces 'PR Team' Jibe From Talk Show Panel Featuring Vaughan, Gilchrist

A talk show panel featuring former England captain Michael Vaughan and legendary Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist took a brutal dig at Rohit Sharma over the India-Australia Test series. Rohit did not feature in the first Test and in the next three matches, he scored just 31 runs. The India captain was criticised by both fans as well as experts and he ended up dropping himself for the final Test match in Sydney. During the panel discussion, the members were asked to pick the best team of the summer and Ian Higgins of The Grade Cricketer said - "“Well, it has to be Rohit Sharma's PR team". The answer left everyone in splits with Vaughan even nodding in agreement with the statement.

"They had a good summer – came in late, missed the Test match, had a rest for the last Test match, and still weren't dropped! And then, he wants to play," Higgins went on to say.

"Q. Who was the best team this summer?

A. It was Rohit's PR team."

pic.twitter.com/Pu1XGlVBLp — M (@anngrypakiistan) January 17, 2025

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said he has a strong belief in Rohit Sharma having the autonomy to decide when he retires from international cricket, though he thinks the selectors could also have a say in it. As India suffered a 3-1 Test series loss in Australia, Rohit made just 31 runs in five innings, and his decision to stand down from the Sydney Test increased speculation on his international future.

"I believe that in Indian cricket, Tendulkar decided his future, and Rohit Sharma will decide his future. Retirement is a personal decision—how long you want to play or how much more you want to contribute is up to the player. Ultimately, though, it's also up to the selectors—in this case, Mr. Ajit Agarkar and his team," said Manjrekar on an episode of 'Deep Point' podcast by Star Sports.

Manjrekar also suggested that Virat Kohli should consider playing a season of County cricket in England to enhance his Test game in English conditions ahead of the five-match Test series in June, citing Cheteshwar Pujara's example.

(With IANS inputs)