“Management should give him that room” - Pravin Amre’s huge statement on star batter ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs

Former India player and coach, Pravin Amre, feels that opening batter Rohit Sharma should be given time and flexibility to settle into his role as a player, following Shubman Gill's appointment as ODI captain ahead of the Australia tour. The Hitman's captaincy tenure, which began in early 2022, came to an end with the triumphant 2025 Champions Trophy.

Rohit Sharma embodied the role of a leader by overhauling his approach at the top of the order. He played a massive hand in ushering India into the aggression-driven modern-day cricket by leading from the front with intent. Now that he is back playing as a pure batter in international cricket after some considerable time, it remains to be seen what sort of role he will be asked to fulfill as an opening batter.

Rohit Sharma faced a similar transition after his captaincy role with the Mumbai Indians (MI) came to an end after Hardik Pandya's return to the setup.

Pravin Amre urged the team management to be patient with Rohit Sharma as he returns to the ODI team under new leadership and after a prolonged absence as well.

"He is the most senior player in this team, and I think he should play like that. Team management should also give that room for him to grow, give time now, and just enjoy his batting. I think the more he enjoys his battting, the more of a match-winner he can become. Also, he won't have the burden of captaincy, so we want the match-winner Rohit now. I think he is still capable of that," Amre told RevSportz.

Pravin Amre also recalled witnessing the revamped version of Rohit Sharma following an extensive fitness regime that saw him get into a much better shape in the off-season.

"I was there when he was doing training at BKC. When I saw him, I told him that a fit body will have a fit mind, because he has worked really hard for the last six months to reduce 10 kilos," he added.

Rohit Sharma was seen extensively working with Abhishek Nayar in the lead-up to his international return, while also sharpening and honing his skills in specialized sessions.

"I think let's take one series at a time" - Pravin Amre on Rohit Sharma's chances of featuring in the 2027 ODI World Cup

Team India's long-term planning has been the talk of the town ever since a major shake-up of the leadership group, which now includes Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer as captain and vice-captain, respectively. There is still no clarity regarding whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still part of the plans, with the upcoming Australia series expected to be a massive indicator going forward.

Pravin Amre suggested that, for the time being, Rohit Sharma should just focus on enjoying his cricket instead of thinking long-term.

"I think let's take one series at a time, let's focus on that. Let him enjoy his cricket, because he does not have to prove anything. What we should allow him is to let him enjoy his cricket," Amre said.

Team India already have a readymade option lined up for the opening department, as Yashasvi Jaiswal has been waiting in the wings for a considerable time now. Although he is a bona fide member of the Test team, he is yet to break into the white-ball setups due to the intense competition set in place.

When asked if competition from Jaiswal could possibly put pressure on Rohit, Amre dismissed the notion.

"He has seen everything in the last 10 years, so I don't think he is worried about that," he concluded.

Team India will take on Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19.

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Edited by Gokul Nair