"What kind of question is that?" - Rohit Sharma downplays queries over poor form, future ahead of IND vs ENG 2025 ODI series

Team India captain Rohit Sharma seemed unimpressed when asked about his dismal form during the Test tour of Australia ahead of the first ODI against England. The right-handed batter believes it's irrelevant to talk about his past failures and future, especially with the 50-over games and Champions Trophy looming.

Although Rohit's white-ball game has been strong, the 37-year-old's numbers have made for a woeful reading. The five-Test tour of Australia saw him score only 31 runs in the three matches he played, averaging only 6.20 alongside a best of 10. However, he has been backed to fire in the ODI series against England.

When a reporter spoke about Rohit's forgettable tour of Australia, the veteran fired back by saying that struggles are a part of everyone's career but every day is an opportunity to redeem themselves. He said, as quoted by The Indian Express:

"What kind of a question is that? This is a different format, different time. As usual, as cricketers, we know there will be ups and downs and I have faced a lot in my career so this is nothing new to me. We know every day is a fresh day, every series is a fresh series."

The 37-year-old cricketer stressed that he is not thinking about the future and that his focus is only on the England ODIs and the Champions Trophy. Rohit added:

"How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans sitting here, where we have three ODIs and Champions Trophies coming in. The reports are going on for a number of years. But I am not here to clarify those reports. For me right now, these three games here and then the Champions Trophy is very very important. So, my focus is on these games."

The Men in Blue will draw confidence from the 4-1 series win over England in the five-match T20I series. However, they still have to put their best foot forward, given it will be India's final ODI series before the Champions Trophy.

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Jos Buttler hopes England can take inspiration from Rohit Sharma's style of playing

Jos Buttler. (Image Credits: Getty)

England skipper Jos Buttler reflected on Team India's aggressive way of playing in the 2023 World Cup and lauded Rohit for spearheading the same from the top.

He stated, as quoted by India Today:

"If I look back at that World Cup, the two teams in the final were playing a really positive and aggressive brand of cricket. You think of the way Travis Head took that final on with the bat, so you see it can be successful. Obviously, Rohit takes a lot of credit for the way he's come out and played himself as a captain and pushed India more towards that style of cricket, so absolutely, we want to be exactly the same."

England have named the XI for the opening ODI in Nagpur on Thursday, with senior batter Joe Root back in the side.