“Dropping Rohit Sharma for Sydney Test Is Wrong”: Sidhu Defends Indian Captain

The former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has criticized the Indian team management for dropping the team captain Rohit Sharma. As the India vs Australia Test series was drawing a stiff competition, Rohit was surprisingly left out of the playing XI. Bumrah was appointed as the captain while Shubman Gill was recalled into the squad.

The decision to step aside was reportedly made by Rohit Sharma himself as he has been out of form in the on going Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. While throwing the toss, Jasprit Bumrah appreciated Rohit’s captaincy and informed that the captain had decided to keep out for the team’s sake.

A Captain should never be dropped midstream nor given the option to opt out … sends wrong signals …. Have seen Captain s like Mark Taylor , Azharuddin etc persisted as captain for a year despite bad form …. @ImRo45 deserved more respect and faith from the management …… pic.twitter.com/OJcSF9r3fU

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) January 3, 2025

Navjot Singh Sidhu strongly disagreed with the decision. In a video shared on his social media, he said,“Today Indian captain Rohit Sharma was made to sit out. It’s bizarre. This has happened for the first time in Indian cricket history. Either you don’t make someone captain, but if you do, and that too a great like him, who has serviced Indian cricket for so long, then he’s out of form; it doesn’t matter.”

 Sidhu also added that captain should not only resign from the team but should not even be an option as well. He stressed that whether the team is winning or losing, the team should be conducted by the captain. "A captain opting out of the team isn’t an option. It sends the wrong signals. A captain never delinks from his ship, even if it is a sinking ship. And he’s a well-respected man, and it’s a wrong decision,” Sidhu added.