Rohit Sharma becomes first Indian captain to drop himself from Playing 11

Though captain dropping himself has happened for the first time in India's cricket history, here are six notable examples in cricketing folklore.

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India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has been enduring a challenging run in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. The veteran opener has yet to score more than 10 runs in any of his five innings, which has led to Rohit becoming first captain to drop himself from the India Playing 11. 

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In the team’s practice session on Thursday, Rohit was observed participating in warm-up exercises, including a football drill, but conspicuously absent during the slip-catching session. While key players like Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and KL Rahul took part in the drill, Rohit was seen sitting alone in the dressing room, with no support staff present. The speculations finally confirmed when Jasprit Bumrah walked out for toss at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

 

Six captains who have dropped themselves from Playing 11  

 

Though captain dropping himself has happened for the first time in India's cricket history. Here are six notable examples, including Rohit Sharma:

 

Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan, 2014)  

In the 2014 ODI series against Australia, Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq faced a form slump, scoring just 0 and 15 in the first two matches. After Pakistan suffered comprehensive defeats, Misbah took responsibility for his lack of form and decided to drop himself from the third ODI. Shahid Afridi captained the side, but Pakistan still lost the match.

 

Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka, 2014 T20 World Cup) 

Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal faced a major form slump during the 2014 T20 World Cup. Ahead of the semi-final and final, he made the bold decision to drop himself from the team to maintain its balance. Lasith Malinga replaced him as captain, and Sri Lanka went on to win the tournament, validating Chandimal’s selfless move.

 

Mike Denness (England, 1974 Ashes)   

During the 1974 Ashes series, England’s captain, Mike Denness, was struggling with his form, and following heavy defeats in the first two Tests and a drawn third Test, he opted to drop himself from the fourth Test. Tony Greig captained England, but they lost the match. Denness returned for the fifth Test, but Australia ultimately won the series 4-1.

 

Michael Clarke (Australia, 2015)  

In 2015, Australian captain Michael Clarke faced intense scrutiny after a series of poor performances. Although he didn’t drop himself from the playing XI, Clarke did consider stepping down as captain and hinted at taking a break from playing. His form and leadership were under significant pressure, leading to discussions about his future role.

 

Brendon McCullum (New Zealand, 2016) 

Brendon McCullum, New Zealand’s captain in 2016, faced a difficult series where his bat wasn’t performing as expected. After some challenging performances, McCullum contemplated his future as captain. Ultimately, he chose to retire from international cricket, including stepping down as the team’s captain, bringing an end to his leadership reign.

 

Alastair Cook (England, 2016-2017) 

In 2016, England’s captain Alastair Cook was under significant pressure due to a series of poor performances. Eventually, in early 2017, Cook stepped down from his position as captain. Though he didn’t drop himself from the team before resigning, the mounting pressure surrounding his form was a key factor in his decision to relinquish the captaincy.

 

Rohit's Dilemma: Will He Follow in Their Footsteps?

 

The Sydney Test is a defining moment for both Rohit and India as Rohit became first Indian captain to drop himself.