Rohit Sharma has been India’s all-formats captain for one year and has had a mixed record in that time. He has led the team to several resounding series wins, including an ODI and T20I series victory in England, but has also failed to win the Asia Cup or T20 World Cup. Despite this, Sharma has avoided controversy for the most part, except for a recent incident in the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka.
During the match, Sharma withdrew an appeal for a run-out against Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka when he was found outside of his crease at the non-striker’s end. According to the rules, Shanaka was out, but Sharma’s decision to withdraw the appeal allowed him to continue batting. Shanaka eventually scored a century and his team lost the match by 67 runs, but Sharma’s decision became the main talking point of the match.
This incident occurred just five days after a similar incident took place in the Big Bash League, where a run-out attempt was also turned down by the third umpire. Legendary cricket commentator Ian Chappell weighed in on both episodes, saying that if there is a specific law in place for this, it should be followed. He also said that the original law for run-outs at the bowler’s end was more than adequate and should never have been changed.
Chappell also commented on Sharma’s decision to withdraw the appeal, stating that he believes Sharma should have enforced, rather than rescinded, the run-out appeal against Shanaka. He argued that this would have been a better outcome for the ongoing debate about the “Spirit of Cricket.”
Overall, Sharma’s captaincy has been a mixed bag, with some notable achievements but also some missed opportunities. The recent incident with the run-out appeal has sparked debate and criticism, with some arguing that it goes against the spirit of the game and others pointing out that it is within the rules. It remains to be seen how Sharma and the Indian team will handle similar situations in the future.
