The last time Rohit Sharma followed such a strict fitness regimen was after missing out on the 2011 World Cup: Sanjay Bangar

Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has opened up on the Indian stalwart opening batter Rohit Sharma shedding nearly 10 kilograms of weight over the last few months as India is all set to take on Australia in the three-match ODI series Down Under.

For the uninitiated, Rohit has been consistently practicing under former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar and has shed nearly 10 kilograms over the past month. A lot of his batting clips and gym sessions have already gone viral on the internet. 

"The last time Rohit Sharma followed such a strict fitness regimen was after missing out on the 2011 World Cup," Bangar told Star Sports.

"That exclusion left a deep wound in his heart, and we're seeing that same determination again now. From 2012 to 2024, he's enjoyed immense success, but the criticism about his fitness clearly stayed with him - and he's worked hard to address it. You can see it in his preparation and mindset,” he added.

Interestingly, Rohit has been removed as the ODI captain, with Shubman Gill becoming the new ODI captain for the forthcoming ODI series vs Australia. Bangar asserted that Rohit is ready to field at any position with his regained fitness. 

"It's great to see Rohit hungry and fit once again. As a captain, you don't always get to stay inside the circle - sometimes you need to patrol the boundary, dive around, and set the tone in the field. Rohit seems to be preparing himself fully for that challenge, and that's a very positive sign,” he concluded. 

Team India will take on Australia in the three-match ODI series, starting on October 19 in Perth.

India’s ODI squad vs Australia: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

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