“They can tear you apart as well” - When Rohit Sharma spoke about the sad reality of Indian cricket [Watch]

Cricket is revered like a religion in India with millions of passionate fans backing the national team. When the team excels, players receive immense praise but face harsh criticism when things don't go as planned.

In June 2024, fans were in awe of captain Rohit Sharma as he led India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. The Men in Blue triumphed over South Africa by seven runs in the final, ending an 11-year ICC trophy drought.

Six months later, the situation for Mumbai cricketer has dramatically shifted. India first suffered a whitewash in a three-match Test series at home against New Zealand. Now, they have failed to retain the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Rohit struggling both with the bat and as captain.

The situation reached a point where the 37-year-old had to drop himself from the playing XI for the final Test in Sydney.

In the middle of this, a video of Rohit Sharma has gone viral, where the opening batter opened up about the harsh realities of Indian cricket and its fans. He discussed how players must cope with the extreme reactions and criticism regarding their performances.

In May 2024, during a conversation with Dubai Eye 103.8 FM, Rohit opened up about handling both admiration and scrutiny from fans.

"When you sign up as a cricketer in India, you should know what you're dealing with. When you come good, they will make you look like Gods, but when things don't go your way, they can tear you apart as well," he said.

Here’s a video of the same:

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old is anticipated to lead the Indian team in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, starting on February 6, 2025.

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“I stood down, that's what I will say” - Rohit Sharma addressed his absence from 2024-25 BGT 5th Test

Ahead of the final and fifth game of the 2024-25 BGT, reports emerged suggesting that regular captain Rohit Sharma would be dropped from the playing XI. The reports proved to be accurate when Jasprit Bumrah appeared for the toss at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

However, on Day 2 of the match, Rohit explained that he wasn’t dropped, but had chosen to stand down due to his poor form. In an interview with Star Sports, he said:

"I stood down, that's what I will say. There are fifty words that'll be thrown around. The chat that I had with the coach and the selectors was simple - runs weren't coming off my bat, I wasn't in form and it was a must-win match. I felt I had to inform the coach and the selectors and this was my decision. They told me you know your game best."

"I am not thinking much of the future. At this point, this is what the team required. I took this call after coming here (not in Melbourne). We had only three days after the last Test and one of them was New Year's. I didn't want to tell the coach and selectors on that day. But it was important for me," Rohit added.

Meanwhile, India faced a six-wicket defeat in Sydney as Australia secured the series 3-1.