Rohit Sharma shared the joyous news of his newborn’s arrival with a heartfelt post on social media, as he and his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, became parents for the second time. The Indian cricket captain expressed his happiness with the message, “Family, the one where we are four.” In the announcement, Rohit also revealed the birth date of their child as “15.11.2024.”
Rohit first met Ritika Sajdeh in 2008, and the couple got married on December 13, 2015. Their first child, Samaira, was born in December 2018 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Amid this personal milestone, questions remain about Rohit’s availability for the opening Test against Australia, scheduled to begin on November 22 at Perth Stadium.
If Rohit is unavailable, Jasprit Bumrah, who served as vice-captain during the recent Test series against New Zealand, might step in as captain. The New Zealand series saw India suffer a 0-3 defeat at home.
Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, stated that there is no official confirmation on Rohit’s participation in the Perth Test. Sunil Gavaskar, the cricketing legend, opined that if Rohit misses the series opener, he should relinquish the captaincy for the entire series.
However, former Australian captain Aaron Finch supported Rohit’s decision to prioritize his personal life. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Around the Wicket show, Finch remarked, “I disagree with Sunny on that totally. Rohit Sharma is the captain of the Indian cricket team. If you need to stay at home because your wife’s going to have a baby, that’s such a beautiful moment, and you take all the time that you need in that regard.”
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also weighed in, urging Rohit to consider traveling to Australia in time for the Perth Test. Ganguly emphasized the importance of Rohit’s leadership for the high-stakes series, which could potentially be his last tour to Australia.
“I hope Rohit Sharma leaves very soon because the team needs leadership. I believe his wife delivered a baby boy last night, so he should leave as early as possible. If I were in his position, I would play the Perth Test,” Ganguly said in an interview with RevSportz.
He further added, “The match is a week away. This is a big series, and Rohit may not tour Australia again. He is a fantastic captain, and India needs his leadership to start the series on the right note.” Ganguly also reflected on Rohit’s initial hesitation to take up the Test captaincy after Virat Kohli stepped down in January 2022, attributing it to concerns over managing the workload.
Rohit Sharma has struggled with form recently, enduring a rough patch in his last 10 Test innings during the home series against Bangladesh (2 Tests) and New Zealand (3 Tests) leading up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
While India secured a 2-0 sweep against Bangladesh, they suffered a historic 0-3 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in the subsequent series — marking the first time India has been defeated in such a manner during a three-Test series on home soil.
As Rohit Sharma embraces the joys of fatherhood for the second time, the spotlight also turns to his role as a leader for Team India. Balancing personal milestones with professional commitments is never easy, especially with the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Trophy just around the corner. Fans and cricketing experts alike are eager to see whether Rohit will join the team in time for the opening Test in Perth or choose to prioritize his family during this special moment.
While opinions differ on his decision, with some urging his immediate return and others supporting his focus on personal life, one thing is clear—Rohit’s leadership and presence on the field are invaluable to Indian cricket. As the team prepares for the challenging series ahead, they’ll look to draw inspiration from their captain’s resilience, both on and off the field. For now, though, the cricketing world celebrates with Rohit as he cherishes this beautiful moment with his growing family.