‘Tum log marwa doge mujhe, woh dono active hai’ – Rohit Sharma on Pujara-Rahane’s future amid Ashwin’s retirement

After the draw in the rain-soaked third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit Sharma was the target of numerous queries. Rohit had to respond to a variety of queries, and he did it in his usual composed manner.

Naturally, there were also some enquiries about Ravichandran Ashwin, who only moments before had declared his retirement from international cricket. When one of the reporters enquired as to whether Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara would be featured in a variety of roles, the situation took a humorous turn.

At the press conference following the game, a journalist questioned, “Will Pujara, Rahane, and Ashwin be seen in various roles?

In his hilarious reaction, Rohit Sharma implied that Ashwin and the other two cricket players are very much in the running to make the Test squad.

“Arey bhai, Ashwin has announced his retirement [Oh brother, Ashwin is the only one who has done so].” A clever Rohit, who appeared to be amused by the question’s perverse phrasing, said, “Tum log marwa doge mujhe, woh dono active hai aur kabhi bhi aa sakte hai perform karke [You people will get me killed someday (laughs), both of them are very well active and can make their way into the team on the basis of consistent performances].”

Rohit Sharma at the post-match conference of Gabba Test being at his witty self when asked about the future of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, after Ravichandran Ashwin announced retirement from international cricket. pic.twitter.com/KcOTBXO3Hm

— चिरकुट ज़िंदगी (@Chirayu_Jain26) December 18, 2024

The absence of Pujara and Rahane from the current BGT series is noteworthy. Rahane was busy filming the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, while Pujara was a member of the commentary panel for this series. Due to their significant contributions to India Down Under, both middle-order batsmen were left out of the squad, which sparked discussions over their future with the team.