Rohit is overweight and a flat-track bully: Former South Africa cricketer

Former South African batter Daryll Cullinan feels Indian captain Rohit Sharma is “overweight and a flat-track bully”. The 57-year-old compared Rohit’s fitness to Virat Kohli, saying the former doesn’t have the fitness to perform consistently in a four or five-match Test series.

Rohit has been in terrible form since the start of 2024. The right-hander has only managed 597 runs in 23 innings at an average of 27.14. 

And if we are talking about the last six Tests, Rohit has scored just 142 runs at an average of 11.83. Only once has he managed to cross the 25-run mark. He batted at No.6 in the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, scoring nine runs across two innings.

“Look at Rohit, then at Virat. Notice the difference in their physical condition. Rohit is overweight, and not a long-term cricketer anymore. Rohit is not in a good physical condition for the hard grind of a four or a five-match Test series,” Cullinan told Insidesport.

“I will say it again. Rohit’s best at home but I just wonder if it is not going to backfire India, because they were not the same team in the second Test. 

“I think Rohit is a flat-track bully. Let’s look at record outside India. Everytime he has been to South Africa, I’ve clearly got the feeling that he does not like the short ball.

“(I did not like) the fact that he’s in the middle-order now. He is an opener. He must come and lead from the front.”

India have lost all of their last four Tests under Rohit’s captaincy.

The five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently tied at 1-1, with the third Test set to be played in the Gabba from December 14 (Saturday).

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