Cricket

Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, has expressed his displeasure with broadcaster Star Sports for displaying a graphic highlighting Rohit Sharma's weakness against left-arm seamers during India's Super 8 match against Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup.Despite Rohit's well-known vulnerability against left-arm pacers, he showcased his prowess by smashing 29 runs off Mitchell Starc's over, contributing to his impressive 41-ball 92. However, after Starc dismissed Rohit, Star Sports displayed a graphic showcasing Rohit's dismissals against left-arm pacers, which irked Gavaskar."Thinking about Rohit Sharma once again, he got out to a left-hander (left-arm seamer). So before the next match, are we going to do another segment about his weakness to left-handers?" questioned a perplexed Gavaskar.Aaron Finch, who shared the commentary box with Gavaskar, attempted to justify the graphic by pointing out the increasing number of left-arm pacers in the game, including Starc, Trent Boult (New Zealand), and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)."There are more left-armers playing now, and they are genuine swing bowlers. So that poses a challenge to the opening batter," said Finch.Gavaskar countered Finch's argument, stating that it was not a significant issue to highlight. "I don't think you should be looking much into that. If you're playing attacking shots when the ball is swinging in, you will be out LBW, you will be out bowled," said Gavaskar.While Rohit Sharma played one of the most remarkable innings of the 2024 T20 World Cup, his opening partner Virat Kohli suffered his second duck of the tournament. Gavaskar has recently faced criticism on social media for his perceived biased analysis towards the dismissals of the two batters."Commentators create divide between players and the fans," one user tweeted, after Gavaskar criticized Kohli's shot selection against Bangladesh while praising Rohit's approach as selfless.

Rohit Sharma's recent batting struggles have raised concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup. Despite a promising start to IPL 2024, including a century against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit has failed to reach double figures in his last three innings.Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has identified Rohit's vulnerability against left-arm seamers as a potential chink in his armor. "He had his problems against left-arm seamers. The way he plants his front leg, you could always feel that anything that's coming in will trouble him," Jaffer said.This weakness could be particularly problematic for Rohit in the T20 World Cup, where India is likely to face Pakistan and its star left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi. Other skilled left-armers in the tournament will also be closely monitoring Rohit's batting form.Jaffer suggests that Rohit should adopt a more cautious approach against left-armers, avoiding aggressive shots early in his innings. "I think he's got decent numbers against Mitchell Starc. And Starc's form is a concern, Rohit knows that. Rohit also hasn't scored the runs in his last four matches, so he will be keen to get into the World Cup with a bit of form," Jaffer said."I feel Rohit needs to take a little bit more time; he's trying to muscle the ball too early in his innings. He can take a couple of overs to get himself in and look to time the ball rather than trying to hit it too hard. It's going to be an interesting match-up, as any left-handers for Rohit Sharma is a little bit of worry," Jaffer added.Rohit's struggles against left-arm seamers will be a key area to watch in the remaining IPL matches and the upcoming T20 World Cup. If he can overcome this weakness, he will be a crucial asset for India in their quest for the title.