India all-rounder Shardul Thakur has offered a humorous glimpse into his long-standing relationship with Rohit Sharma, revealing that the veteran opener often made him the “punching bag” during his time as India’s captain. While Thakur’s comments were made in jest, they highlighted the close bond the two Mumbai cricketers have shared since their early playing days.
Speaking on Sony Sports Network, Thakur revealed that he and Rohit studied at the same school, with the current India opener being his senior. Their association later continued in Mumbai domestic cricket before they became teammates for India. Thakur joked that he could reveal several untold stories about Rohit but preferred to keep most of them private.
“Don’t ask me. I can reveal many secrets here, but I don’t want to. I was Rohit’s punching bag. We studied in the same school, and he has seen me grow through Mumbai cricket. During his captaincy, if Virat Kohli or Ravindra Jadeja made a rare mistake in the field, nothing much happened. But if I fumbled after that, Rohit’s reaction would definitely come. I won’t repeat what he used to say—you can find those clips on YouTube,” Shardul Thakur said with a laugh.
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The all-rounder also recalled a memorable incident from the Asia Cup that perfectly summed up Rohit’s fiery leadership style. According to Thakur, Rohit had accidentally placed six fielders on the leg side, creating an illegal fielding setup. As Thakur ran in from short third to alert his captain, Rohit interrupted him and instructed him to return to his fielding position.
“I kept trying to tell him something, but he just asked me to go back. A few moments later, the umpire called a no-ball because of the field placement. I turned around and told him, ‘That’s exactly what I was trying to say,'” Shardul Thakur recalled.
While Thakur’s stories brought smiles, Rohit has been under intense scrutiny for his batting form during the ongoing ODI series against England. The experienced opener has managed scores of just 11 and 26 in the first two matches, prompting fresh debate over his future in the format.
However, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed suggestions that Rohit was feeling the pressure. Speaking after India’s four-wicket defeat in the second ODI, Kotak backed the veteran to return strongly in the series decider at Lord’s.
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“I don’t think a player of Rohit Sharma’s stature feels pressure after two low scores. He looked in good touch today, and sometimes batters simply don’t find the rhythm they are searching for. I’ve watched enough cricket to know that one good innings can change everything. We could see a completely different Rohit at Lord’s,” Sitanshu Kotak said.
With the series locked at 1-1 after England’s victory in Cardiff, all eyes will now be on Rohit Sharma as India aim to clinch the deciding ODI at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
