‘Future in stand-up comedy’: Former Australian player throws shade remark at Rohit Sharma

New Delhi: Ex-cricketer Simon Katich recently took a jibe at Indian captain Rohit Sharma following remarks made during an interview at the Sydney Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. When questioned about his cricketing career after opting out of the Test, Rohit responded, stating he was “not going anywhere,” regardless of what critics with “a mic, laptop, or pen” had to say.

At the time of the interview, India remained in contention, but an injury to substitute captain Jasprit Bumrah dashed their chances of defending a modest total of 162 in the final innings on Sunday. Australia successfully chased down the target with six wickets remaining, claiming a 3-1 series victory and securing the trophy for the first time since 2017.

“Well, if you look at the numbers, they are damning. We saw it in this Test. It was very selfless of him to opt out of the Test. I saw in that interview, very well-spoken. There’s no doubt he has a future after he is done playing cricket in stand-up comedy because his humor was very good,” Katich said, as quoted by India Today.

Rohit’s highest score in the series was just 10, and he accumulated only 31 runs across five innings. In the interview with Star Sports, he expressed hopes of finding his form in the coming months, possibly before India’s Test series in England in June.

However, Katich wasn’t as confident and pointed to Rohit’s age with concern.

“Only he knows whether he has the hunger and drive at 37 to go again,” the former IPL coach said. “England is not going to be an easy series. England are on their way up. They have some good young quicks coming through. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse are doing well.”

“I dare say that will be a tough tour if he chooses to go on it and the Indian selectors pick him, first and foremost. Those numbers are not for pretty reading. Test cricket isn’t a place for 37-year-olds at the top of the order. History suggests that, and only Rohit Sharma knows whether he has got the hunger to go on,” he said.