"If the captain himself is struggling, there could be chaos in the dressing room" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on Rohit Sharma's form

Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma believes that Rohit Sharma's lean patch with the bat is a significant concern for the Indian cricket team.

During a discussion on India News Sports, Rajkumar emphasized that Rohit's underwhelming performances with the bat could take a toll on his captaincy. He opined that there would be a lot of clutter in the opener's mind, given that he has to think a lot about his personal performances following a string of poor outings.

The veteran coach pointed out that the entire team's confidence is bound to take a hit when the captain himself has failed to deliver. Rajkumar explained:

"Yes, Rohit Sharma's lack of form is one of the reasons why we haven't been able to do well. However, that is not the only reason. We have been lacking in several other departments as well. His form is very key in white-ball cricket, given that it gives India a good start.

"If the captain himself is struggling, there could be chaos in the dressing room. He cannot be authoritative in such situations, as he would also be thinking a lot about his own batting along with the team. It affects the atmosphere of the team."

Notably, Rohit returned to action with the ODI series opener against Bangladesh on Sunday, December 4. While he got off to a decent start, he failed to convert it into a big one, falling to Shakib Al Hasan for 27.

Things went right down to the wire but it was Bangladesh who won the first ODI.

#TeamIndia will look to bounce back in the second ODI of the series 👍 #BANvIND

Scorecard 👉 bit.ly/BANvIND-1STODI https://t.co/Ko3Snyqdpp

The Men in Blue were bundled out for 186 runs in the encounter. Bangladesh claimed a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, winning the low-scoring thriller with one wicket to spare.

"He himself will be aware that his form is deeply affecting the team" - Saba Karim on Rohit Sharma

During the discussion, former keeper-batter Saba Karim also highlighted how Rohit Sharma's form has played a major role in the team's recent struggles in limited-overs cricket.

Karim mentioned that the Indian side look like a much better unit when Rohit is in form. The 55-year-old remarked that the skipper would be concerned with how he has played in recent outings and will be aiming to come up with improved performances with the bat.

He elaborated:

"Rohit Sharma's poor form with the bat has had a major impact on the team in white-ball cricket. He's always been an invaluable addition to the Indian team, and the side looks very confident when he's in good form. He himself will be aware that his form is deeply affecting the team"

The former India selector further added that the added pressure of getting back to form is affecting the way he is captaining the team. Karim added:

"When you are not in form, it has a big effect on the captaincy. A player keeps thinking that he hasn't been able to do well. You cannot captain the side freely because of that, as there is a lot of pressure."

Notably, Rohit Sharma has featured in seven ODI matches this year and has mustered 198 runs at an average of 33.00. India are set to take on Bangladesh in the second fixture of their 50-over series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday, December 7.