'All I need is just one innings' - Shardul Thakur reveals conversation with Rohit Sharma on sidelines of Ranji Trophy 2024-25

Shardul Thakur revealed his conversation with Rohit Sharma regarding the latter's form slump with the bat during the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group A clash between Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir last month.

Rohit ended his lean patch when he scored a breathtaking century against England in the second ODI in Cuttack last week. The India captain amassed 119 off just 90 balls to help the Men in Blue chase down a 305-run target with consummate ease.

Shardul praised the knock from the legendary cricketer, who happens to be his old friend. The Mumbai all-rounder praised Rohit's ability to hit sixes effortlessly and attributed some of his dismissals in recent matches to bad luck.

"The way he was batting (in Cuttack ODI vs England), it did not even seem like he was out of form even once. He might get out in some balls, that happens to everyone in the nets. Apart from that, he looked very comfortable out there. Its just a matter of luck...you can only blame luck. The way he hits those sixes, he is such a dangerous batter in every scenario. His class is different from all the rest," Shardul told RevSportz in an interview.

Shardul said that Rohit was confident despite his struggles with the bat against New Zealand and Australia. The former recalled that Rohit told him during the Mumbai versus Jammu and Kashmir clash that he needed only one good knock to turn things around.

"When he played that Ranji game for us and did not score runs, we had a chat because he had not scored in Australia either. But he was so confident that he told me, “I know the runs are not coming now, but all I need is just one innings. Then, runs will come automatically again,” he added.

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Rohit failed to get among the runs during the Ranji Trophy clash. However, Shardul said that the 37-year-old looked very confident in the nets. Shardul also spoke about the difficulties of being an opener and urged people to stop judging the stalwart.

"He is an opener, and when they face the new ball, it is always tough. We should not judge him at any time, considering how many matches he has won for India across all formats over the years," Thakur said.