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Is struggling Rohit Sharma under pressure? Indian coach reacts 
17 Jul 2026

India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, has defended Rohit Sharma amid his poor run in the ongoing ODI series against England.

The second ODI saw India losing by four wickets and leveling the three-match series.

Rohit struggled with his form throughout the match, ending the Powerplay at just 10 off 18 balls and eventually getting out for a laborious 26 runs off 47 balls while trying to sweep Will Jacks.

Kotak shuts down pressure questions
Coach's perspective

Kotak, after the match, was asked if there is any pressure on Rohit.

The batting coach dismissed such concerns saying, "I don't think a player as big as Rohit can feel the pressure. He's too good a player to feel that."

He further added that even though Rohit hasn't scored in two games, it doesn't make much difference to him or the team.

Batting coach expects Rohit to bounce back at Lord's
Future expectations

Kotak was confident about Rohit's return to form in the upcoming match at Lord's.

He said, "You might see [a] completely different innings from Rohit Sharma in Lord's."

The batting coach explained that double bounce on the pitch may have made Rohit uncomfortable with his usual shots.

He also noted that Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli got quick starts but Rohit probably didn't get balls in his slot.

Will Lord's be Rohit's final ODI? 
Report

As per IANS, Rohit's ODI career with Team India could come to an end after the ongoing England series.

Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar is in Cardiff as the touring selector, and it seems they are not considering the 39-year-old double ICC trophy-winning skipper for next year's ODI World Cup.

In his last 10 ODIs, Rohit has clocked scores worth 14, 75, 26, 24, 11, 16, 48, 79, 11 and 26.

Kotak on India's innings and pitch behavior
Match analysis

Meanwhile, Kotak also analyzed India's innings, saying a score of 270-280 would have been challenging.

He revealed that Kohli had sent word to the dressing room about the pitch's behavior during his innings.

The batting coach said, "When there is a double pace or double bounce, it is more about a batter adapting there."

He also observed that the wicket slowed down in the second half of England's innings.

Sundar's injury and Gambhir-Kohli rift rumors addressed by Kotak
Injury impact

Kotak expressed concern over Washington Sundar's hamstring injury during India's innings, calling it a "bad injury."

He also dismissed rumors of a rift between Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying they would have spoken multiple times on the day.

Kotak said there was no need to bridge any layer of communication between them.