You will not be able to please everyone, says Rohit Sharma on taking tough selection calls

Rohit Sharma has had a successful stint as captain of the Indian cricket team. His tenure marked a transformative and fearless era for the team. The Mumbaikar was known for leading from the front. He led the team to victory in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup but this time he will be watching the action from outside the field.

A team man to the core, Rohit had had to take some tough selection calls in his stint as captain and how did the leader handle such situations. “For us, it is important to understand how we can make the best use of the 15 players in our squad. We had to leave someone out in the 2023 World Cup, we had to keep someone out in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and we had to do the same in the Champions Trophy as well,” Rohit said on JioHotstar’s ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for T20 World Cup’ show. 

“Siraj was not part of the 2025 Champions Trophy, so I had a conversation with him and explained the situation to him. I also spoke to Yuzvendra Chahal when he was not part of the 2023 World Cup. There were several players like this, and we spoke to all of them. I feel it is always good to have a conversation. You will not be able to please everyone, but you try your best to help everyone understand the reasoning behind the decisions,” Rohit stated.

I remember we called Shreyas near the pool, and Rahul bhai and I both spoke to him about why he was not going to be part of that Asia Cup, followed by the T20 World Cup that was going to take place. We had to explain the reasoning to him

‘It’s important for the player to know the reasons’

Rohit said it was important to communicate with the player the reason why he was dropped from the squad. On leaving out fellow Mumbaikar Shreyas Iyer from the 2022 T20 World Cup squad and the Asia Cup before that, he said: “There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. I think of Shreyas Iyer during the 2022 T20 World Cup. I still remember that we were playing in the West Indies. Rahul (Dravid) bhai and I always felt that if you are taking such calls, it is important for the individual to know why you are doing it. I remember we called Shreyas near the pool, and Rahul bhai and I both spoke to him about why he was not going to be part of that Asia Cup, followed by the T20 World Cup that was going to take place. We had to explain the reasoning to him. 

https://www.hotstar.com/in/sports/cricket/rohit-on-the-importance-of-clarity/1271523584/watch

“I remember we took Deepak Hooda then, and that was the only spot we had available. We felt we needed someone who could give us a little more with the ball, because in our top five or six, there were not many players who could bowl. So, we wanted players with those multi-skills, and that is why we had to go with Hooda. He was in good form before that Asia Cup and World Cup and based on the form he showed in the IPL and the way he was batting, I felt he could fit into our plans. 

“Shreyas would have felt bad, Deepak would have been happy, but that is how it works. If someone else takes Deepak’s place in the future, then he would feel bad as well. As long as you have a valid reason and you explain it properly, that is fine,” he added.

It’s very rewarding to still have that bond with the players, and that is something I have always wanted within the team, an openness to discuss anything, not just cricket but life as well, anything outside the game

They pull my leg and I truly enjoy it: Rohit

This quality of being frank and forthright with his teammates had earned Rohit respect and also helped building bonds with the others. “It’s very rewarding to still have that bond with the players, and that is something I have always wanted within the team, an openness to discuss anything, not just cricket but life as well, anything outside the game. What’s going on in life, what’s happening at home, those kinds of conversations. I always wanted to be that person, because I know when you first join the team, it takes time to open up,” he said. 

“So, when I’m sitting here or when I go into the team’s dressing room, I never want anyone to feel they need time to open up. I want them to feel they can just come and have a free chat. It shouldn’t be a case of thinking whether they should come and talk. I never wanted that in anyone’s mind. I try to be as open as possible and upfront, and that’s why these guys make fun of me a lot. There are no boundaries; there is always an open door. At the same time, we pull each other’s leg, well, not we, they pull my leg. That’s the kind of environment I always wanted, and I truly enjoy it,” he shared. 

‘Togetherness and mutual trust are important things’

Rohit named the two things that are important in building bonds. “I think togetherness and mutual trust are the most important things. If I’m not wrong, these players (the present T20 India squad) have been playing together for almost two years now. There have been a few who have missed out and some who have come in new, but apart from that, I think around 80 to 90 per cent of the squad has remained the same since the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. 

From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different. When you miss a World Cup, reality really sinks in. That’s when you realise you’re not going to be part of it. So, it will be a little weird

“When I watch the matches, I feel there is a strong sense of understanding within the team, developed through playing together. One positive aspect is that almost all of them are of a similar age, apart from a few exceptions. Otherwise, I think the average age is probably close to 25, which is always good, because you have to have a lot of discussions, a lot of open conversations and also some hard conversations when you are heading into a World Cup, as the only aim is to win it. For that, if you have to take certain hard calls where someone you play with, even a close friend, might feel bad, it should be okay. So, I think it is very important to create that kind of relationship among players,” he said. 

‘When you miss a World Cup, reality sinks in’

But missing out on being part of the team is something which Rohit still has not come to grasp with.  “We were talking about this at home, that it will be strange watching it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different. When I watch the team playing T20 games, the feeling of missing out isn’t as much. But when you miss a World Cup, reality really sinks in. That’s when you realise you’re not going to be part of it. So, it will be a little weird. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won’t be the same and it will be a different experience, but I’m actually looking forward to it. It will be quite amazing.”