Suresh Raina predicts a new captain for Champions Trophy due to Rohit Sharma's poor form

Unfortunately, to the dismay of the excited spectators at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, the anticipation of watching Rohit Sharma bat was quickly dashed when the Indian captain was dismissed after facing just 7 balls in the first ODI against England. Rohit mistimed a delivery from Saqib Mahmood, attempting his signature flick shot that had brought him numerous boundaries in the past. However, on this occasion, he executed the shot prematurely, resulting in a closed bat face and his dismissal for just 2 runs.

This was Rohit's seventh single-digit score in his last 10 innings in international cricket. Former India batter Suresh Raina said the Jamta track was ideal for Rohit to get back in form, but the opener did not give himself enough time to assess the pace of the wicket.

"I think this wicket would have been a good one for Rohit Sharma’s comeback had he applied himself a bit more," Raina said on Sports18.

With less than two weeks to go before India's first match against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy, Rohit's form will be one concern for the Indian team management.

Raina, who has played a lot of white-ball cricket and has seen him grow into one of the biggest names of Indian cricket, said if Rohit somehow manages to score runs in the remaining two ODIs in Cuttack and Ahmedabad, then a different kind of captain will turn up in the Champions Trophy.

"Now, the team will move to Cuttack, where he could also perform well. If he finds form before the Champions Trophy, then we’ll see a different kind of captain and a different kind of approach from him," said Raina.

India got off to a winning start courtesy of some fantastic bowling performances by Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Harshit, backed up by Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill'sm fireworks with the bat, but they will be slightly worried about another star batter, Virat Kohli's fitness. Kohli missed the series opener due to a sore knee.

"That’s why the question of whether Virat Kohli will be fit in time is crucial, because having the top three play together in these two matches before the big tournament is very important," said Raina.

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