Why Rohit Sharma Did Weight Transformation: 'Airport Images Came Out...'

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has revealed that chatter about Rohit Sharma’s weight, like over his photos at the airport a few months ago, motivated him to undergo his transformation journey.

Nayar, who’s one of the closest friends of Rohit, said he has tried hard to be ‘healthier, faster and fitter’.

Rohit has stunned his fans in recent public appearances, looking fitter than ever. He is said to have spent weeks in Mumbai working on his fitness with Nayar before even starting batting practice. It was initially believed that this was Rohit’s way of responding to reports that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pondering moving on from him, but now, as per Nayar, it was much more personal.

“There were a lot of talks about him, putting on weight, and a few images coming out at the airport. So it was all about changing all of that and in a lot of ways to be healthier, faster, and fitter,” Nayar was quoted as saying by Star Sports.

Rohit, 38, is a legend of Indian cricket. However, having retired from Tests and T20Is, he doesn’t get a lot of chances to play international cricket. It is being seen as a hindrance to his aims to play the 2027 ODI World Cup. He has been recently demoted in the ODI set-up, too, replaced by 26-year-old Shubman Gill as the captain, starting with the upcoming three-ODI series against Australia, which begins on Sunday.

Captaincy snub won’t change Rohit: Nayar

This is an all-important tour for Rohit and his long-time teammate Virat Kohli. Good performance here would vindicate their decision not to call off their ODI careers already, but a poor show would likely build pressure.

For Rohit, an extra layer is about how he deals with not being captain anymore. He had been leading the team for a few years and had shaped it into his ODI philosophy, too.

However, Nayar believes that the Mumbaikar would be unchanged.

“Whether he’s captain or not, that will never change the way he plays for this team and for his teammates,” Nayar said.