Indian cricket icon Rohit Sharma dedicated nearly two hours to refining his batting at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, meticulously preparing for the impending One-Day International (ODI) series against Australia. Fans flocked to witness the rare public practice session, where the former India captain trained diligently under the guidance of his long-time friend and former Mumbai teammate, Abhishek Nayar.
Sharma, aged 38, last featured for India in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in February. During his rigorous net session at the All Heart Cricket Academy, he demonstrated excellent form. Displaying his characteristic elegant timing, Rohit executed a series of powerful pull and cut shots against fast bowlers, followed by graceful inside-out drives, much to the delight of the cheering crowd. He also committed significant time to perfecting his technique against spin, practicing sweep and slog-sweep strokes.
At one memorable moment, as Rohit powerfully pulled a delivery in the nets, a fan’s voice cut through the commotion, shouting in Hindi: “We have to win the 2027 World Cup, Rohit bhai. It won’t be possible without you. You have to hit like this in Australia too. Look, (Mitchell) Starc is standing in front of you!” This bizarre and enthusiastic encouragement brought laughter from the assembled crowd.
The ODI series against Australia is scheduled to commence on October 19 in Perth. This series marks Sharma’s anticipated return to international cricket following his recent decision to step down as India’s ODI captain. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli, who had previously retired from Test and ODI formats, have been recalled for this crucial three-match series. The experienced duo, along with the newly appointed vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, will join the Test squad, currently engaged in matches against the West Indies, before departing for Australia on October 15.