“Fitter Rohit Sharma would benefit India a lot more” – Salman Butt on the Men in Blue captain’s fitness issues 

Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt believes Team India captain Rohit Sharma should not be scrutinized for his batting failures at the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2022.

Butt, however, opined that it is important for the Indian skipper to get in better shape. He claimed that Sharma will be able to contribute more to the success of his team if he works on his fitness.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he explained:

“Rohit Sharma is a world-class player. It’s just that he wasn’t on song at the T20 World Cup. He also didn’t look very fit and looked slow and lethargic on the field. But he is a top player.”

Butt continued:

“It does not mean that he is not capable. Despite not being supremely fit, he has played some exceptional knocks in the past. Fitter Rohit Sharma would benefit India a lot more.”

While the Indian team made it to the semi-finals of the showpiece event, Sharma was slammed by many for his underwhelming batting exploits. The right-handed batter mustered 116 runs from six outings at a strike rate of 106.42.

The star batter struggled in the semi-finals against England, managing just 27 runs in 28 balls in the crucial tie. A number of fans questioned his approach, blaming him for wasting the powerplay overs.

“Depends on how the team management wants to utilise him” – Salman Butt on the prospect of Suryakumar Yadav playing as an opener in T20Is

Answering a fan’s question about Suryakumar Kumar Yadav opening the innings in T20 cricket, Butt highlighted how the dynamic batter is capable of scoring runs at a frantic pace even when there are no field restrictions.

The 38-year-old opined that India should not change the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul after just one dismal campaign. He added:

“The way he bats in the middle order, it seems as if the powerplay is still on. But it all depends on how the team management wants to utilise him. A bad outing doesn’t mean that the Indian openers are not good enough.”

Notably, Suryakumar was promoted to the opening spot in KL Rahul’s absence during India’s five-match T20I series against West Indies. The swashbuckler amassed 135 runs in four appearances, finishing as the leading run-getter in the rubber.