Don’t think there was a need for a break, Rohit Sharma should've played South Africa T20Is: RP Singh

Rohit Sharma‘s Mumbai Indians had a terrible run in IPL 2022 as they finished with the wooden spoon this year. But the more concerning fact was his batting form as he failed to breach the 300-run mark in the IPL for only the second time since 2008. Former Indian quick RP Singh has questioned Rohit’s decision to rest from the T20I series against South Africa.

The Indian skipper, along with other senior members like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami, won’t feature in the five-match T20I series against the Proteas. Rohit endured a lean run of form in the recently concluded IPL 2022, as he scored just 268 runs in 14 games without a single half-century to his name.

RP Singh opinionated that he has every right to take a break from the game, but as a captain of the side, he has added responsibilities, and he should be leading his side in the series.

“I think he should have played the series. Taking a rest or not is his thought. It depends on how much fatigue he is experiencing. But I don’t think there was a need for a break. He should have played. It’s a long series and, remember, he is the captain as well,” Singh was quoted as saying by India TV.

You need match-winners in the shortest format: RP Singh

The left-arm pacer acknowledged that the Indian skipper hasn’t performed well recently, but also said that Rohit has played match-winning knocks for Mumbai in the past, and can come up with the goods even during a lean patch. He believes that a team need match-winners in the T20s, who can provide the spark to the team with their performance.

“In the IPL, Rohit hasn’t scored over 400 runs in the last few seasons. There are many others who have crossed the 400-run mark. His performances have been inconsistent in the tournament, but he used to come up with a couple of match-winning knocks.

“So everyone felt the spark in his batting was there. In the shortest format, you need match-winners. Even if they fire in a couple of matches, the team will win those,” the former Indian pacer added.