He said that the BCCI fully supported his request without any hesitation.
Rohit Sharma said it was his own decision on when to join the team during the Australia tour, and there was no pressure from the BCCI.
In November last year, his wife Ritika gave birth to their second child, Ahaan, which is why he stayed back and missed the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Perth.
While speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast with former Australia captain Michael Clarke, Rohit Sharma shared a personal story from the 2018 tour of Australia. He said that he had to miss a Test match and return home for the birth of his first child. However, he ended up reaching a day late.
He explained that it happened during the Boxing Day Test. On December 29, which was Day 4 of the match, Australia were seven wickets down at tea. Rohit felt he could catch a flight that day. But Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon kept batting and stretched the innings. Because of that, the Indian team had to return the next morning to take the last few wickets. By the time they finished, the next available flight was only in the evening, and he missed it. So, he couldn’t make it in time for the birth.
“In the 2018 Australia tour, I had to miss a Test match and fly back home, but I was a day late. My wife had already given birth. We were in the middle of the Boxing Day Test match. On 29th December, Day 4, Australia were 7 down at tea time. I am looking ‘Ok, I can make this flight’. But Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon batted the whole time and then we had to come next morning to get them out. The flight was only in the evening so I missed it,” he said.
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Rohit Sharma shared that after finishing the Test series against New Zealand in India, he asked the BCCI for permission to stay back home for a while. This was around the time his second child was about to be born. He said that the BCCI fully supported his request without any hesitation. They told him to take his time and there was no pressure on him to travel to Australia immediately.
Rohit explained that the decision on when to join the team was completely his. He added that Australia is one of the best places to play cricket, and every player enjoys playing there, but at that moment, he chose to be with his family.
“We finished the Test matches in India against New Zealand and then I requested BCCI that I just want to stay home and without even a glimpse of thought the BCCI was like ok, just go for it. Take your time. There was no pressure on me to come to Australia. It was just my call, whenever I wanted to come. And look, Australia is a place you don’t want to miss playing cricket in. We all love coming here and play,” Rohit added.
Rohit Sharma then played the next three Test matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne. However, he struggled with the bat, scoring only 31 runs in five innings at a low average of 6.20. Due to his poor form, he decided to drop himself from the fifth and final Test in Sydney.
Unfortunately, India went on to lose the series 3-1. This series defeat also cost them a place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final.
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