Rohit Sharma spent nearly two hours at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park sharpening his skills ahead of India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia. The former India captain trained under the watchful eye of his longtime friend and ex-Mumbai teammate Abhishek Nayar, as fans gathered in large numbers to witness the rare public session. The 38-year-old, who last represented India in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in February, looked in fine touch during the nets at the All Heart Cricket Academy.Known for his trademark timing, Rohit played a flurry of pull and cut shots against pace, followed by inside-out drives that drew cheers from the fans. He also dedicated a considerable part of his session to countering spin, practising sweep and slog-sweep strokes. At one point, as Rohit faced a delivery in the nets, smashing it for a pull shot, a fan’s voice rose above the noise. “2027 ka World Cup jeetna hai Rohit bhai, tumhare bina possible nahi hai! Australia me bhi aise hi maarna hai… dekho dekho, saamne Starc khada hai, (We have to win the 2027 World Cup, Rohit bhai. It won’t be possible without you. You have to hit like this in Australia too. Look, (Mitchell) Starc is standing in front of you.)” shouted one supporter, drawing laughter from the crowd.Watch the hilarious video here The ODI series against Australia begins on October 19 in Perth, marking Rohit’s return to international cricket after stepping down as India’s ODI captain recently. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli, who retired from Tests and ODIs, have been called up for the three-match series.
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The senior duo, along with newly appointed vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, will link up with the Test squad currently facing the West Indies before flying out to Australia on October 15.
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