“Bahar aaja overseas Test khatam ho gaya”: 5 instances of Rohit Sharma being trolled for different reasons
Team India’s all-format captain Rohit Sharma has an amazing fan following not only in India, but across the globe. He has an incredible record in international cricket, especially in white-ball formats.
The 35-year-old is the only batter with three double hundreds in ODI cricket and four tons in the T20I format. He also holds the record for the most centuries in a single 50-over World Cup edition - five. It is not surprising then that he is referred to as the “Hitman”.
Fame, though, also has a flip side. As much as cricketers are glorified when they do well, they also get heavily criticized on occasions when they fail. The popularity of social media over the last few years has given bashers a new avenue to take a dig at celebrities.
While Rohit has won a lot of plaudits over the years, he has also been brutally trolled for a number of varied reasons.
In this feature, we look back at five such instances.
#1 When Rohit appeared in the team huddle on Day 5 of Edgbaston Test
Rohit was forced to miss the Edgbaston Test against England in July of this year after testing positive for COVID-19. He recovered just ahead of the white-ball series and was even seen in the team huddle ahead of the last day of the rescheduled Test.
Fans trolled India’s all-format captain, pointing out that it was not the first time that he had missed an overseas Test or series. Rohit was ruled out of the entire 2021-22 South African tour due to a hamstring injury. He was ruled out of the Test matches in New Zealand in 2020 and also missed a couple of Test matches during the 2020-21 tour of Australia.
@CricCrazyJohns Aa gya 😂 https://t.co/i18dm4kNYd
Rohit's criticism is somewhat unfair as he was India’s leading run-getter during the 2021 Test series in England, scoring 368 runs in four matches at an average of 52.57.
#2 Hitman poses with fan, gets trolled for being unfit
During India’s 2022 tour of England, a lucky fan got to meet both Virat Kohli and Rohit and click pictures with both of them. Incidentally, the latter tested positive for COVID-19 a few days ahead of the first match of the tour - the rescheduled Test in Birmingham.
After seeing Rohit’s picture with the fan, social media users questioned his fitness. According to many, he was looking a bit too fat for international cricket.
@mufaddal_vohra sharma ji shd work on his fitness
he is so chubby. i kno it's a hoody but still imagine if he had a better physique, he can perrform way better
Some urged him to work hard in the gym. Others criticized him for not taking proper care of his body despite being a sportsperson.
#3 When MI skipper was trolled for supporting Real Madrid
Mumbai Indians (MI) had a horror run in IPL 2022. In fact, they endured their worst season, finishing last in the points table. They won only four and lost 10 of their 14 matches. On a personal level as well, MI skipper Rohit struggled with the willow, scoring only 268 runs at an average of 19.14.
Come on Madrid @realmadrid
In the midst of MI’s losing spree, Rohit shared a post on Twitter, backing his favorite football side Real Madrid ahead of their semi-final first-leg clash against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
@ImRo45 @realmadrid Madrid be like: https://t.co/q0tTYUWnVq
He was heavily trolled for sharing the tweet, and the frustration of those supporting Real Madrid increased after the team lost the match.
#4 When Rohit used 2017 hashtag for 2013 Champions Trophy win
The 2013 Champions Trophy (CT) marked the last instance of the Men in Blue winning an ICC title. It was also during this tournament that Rohit began his highly successful association with Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order. The triumph remains memorable in Indian cricket for numerous reasons.
In 2019, Rohit shared a throwback picture of himself, Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suresh Raina posing with the CT trophy following India’s win over England in the final. However, he made a major blunder by sharing the image as he used the hashtag ChampionsTrophy2017.
Indeed memories to cherish for life brother, but ones from 2013 😂. You got me tricked too. twitter.com/ImRo45/status/…
The Twitterati were quick to remind him that the 2017 Champions Trophy was not a memorable one for India as they were hammered by Pakistan in the final. Raina was among those who trolled Rohit with a funny reply.
#5 When Rohit was trolled for opposing cutting of trees
@ImRo45 10-20 ped to tumhare bats ke liye bhi kaate jaate hain.. https://t.co/HVgNeHqWQD
In 2019, Rohit shared a post opposing the cutting of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey colony to make way for a development project (Metro) in the city. Taking to Twitter, he wrote:
“Even if there is more to the story, nothing is worth cutting down something so vital. Part of Mumbai being slightly greener & slight difference in the temperature is mainly because of #AareyColony. How can we take that away, not to mention thousands of animals will displace.”
Even if there is more to the story, nothing is worth cutting down something so vital. Part of Mumbai being slightly greener & slight difference in the temperature is mainly because of #AareyColony. How can we take that away, not to mention thousands of animals will displace.
While his intentions were genuine, trolls reminded him that cricket bats are also made by cutting trees. Others asked him to focus on his job, which is to play cricket.