India’s star opener Rohit Sharma was demoted to No 3 in Sunday’s T20 World Cup game against New Zealand. Indian legend, former opener, Sunil Gavaskar believes that the move was an indication that the team management did not trust the 34-year-old to effectively counter the inswing of left-handed Trent Boult. Sharma scored 14 runs off as many balls after being dropped off the first delivery he faced against the Kiwis. Kane Williamson and co defeated India by eight wickets. 

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While Rohit Sharma might be considered amongst the best white-ball batsmen and openers in the world currently, the Mumbai Indians captain had to make way for a young Ishan Kishan at the top. Kishan opened the innings alongside KL Rahul as Sharma and Virat Kohli followed at No 3 and 4 respectively. The experiment failed as India were reduced to 48/4 in 10.1 overs. 

Team India managed 110/7 batting first, a target the Kiwis chased with eight wickets and 33 balls to spare. 

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Talking about the team’s lack of trust in Rohit Sharma, Sunil Gavaskar told India Today, “Ishan Kishan is a hit-or-miss player and it is better if a batsman like him walks in No.4 or No.5. He could then play according to the situation of the game. Now what has happened is that Rohit Sharma has been told that we don’t trust you to face the left-arm fast bowling of Trent Boult.”

Sharma was dropped off Boult’s bowling on the last ball of the third over.

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Rohit Sharma has been vulnerable to left-arm pacers, especially the ones who can swing the ball. He was dismissed off Shaheen Afridi’s in-swinging delivery against Pakistan. The Indian opener averaged 21.1 at almost a run-a-ball rate against left-arm pacers since 2019 before playing Sunday’s game. Boult had faced Rohit thrice in T20Is in 2017, dismissing him twice in 11 deliveries for 15 runs.

Talking about how the demotion Gavaskar said, “If you do that to a player who has been playing at a position for so many years, he himself will think that maybe he doesn’t have the ability. If Ishan Kishan had made 70-odd runs we would have applauded. But when the ploy doesn’t work, you are going to be criticised. 

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“I don’t know if it is a fear of failure but I know that whatever changes they made to the batting order today did not work.

“Rohit Sharma is such a great batsman and he has been sent in at No.3. Kohli himself, who has made so many runs at No.3 demotes himself to No.4. A young player like Ishan Kishan has been given the responsibility of opening the batting,” he added.