Rohit Sharma left fans in awe with his sleek and trim look at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday, October 7. The 38-year-old looked dashing in a maroon blazer at the star-studded event, which also saw the presence of legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Varun Chakravarthy, Kane Williamson, and Temba Bavuma.
Rohit has been working hard to regain his shape and form ahead of his one-day international comeback. He was recently named in India’s 15-man squad for the three-match series against Australia starting October 19. Although Rohit will no longer captain the ODI side, with Shubman Gill taking over, all eyes will be on him and Virat Kohli as the legendary duo return to the field for the first time since IPL 2025.
At the awards, fans were quick to notice Rohit’s noticeably leaner frame, comparing recent photos with those from a few months ago. According to his friend and former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, Rohit has shed 10 kg through intense training sessions over the past few weeks. The former captain teamed up with Nayar for gym workouts in Mumbai to fine-tune his fitness.
Rohit appeared to thoroughly enjoy the evening. In a video from the event, he was seen laughing wholeheartedly during a speech. His wife, Ritika Sajdeh, was also spotted at the ceremony, joining him for the celebration.
A section of fans praised Rohit Sharma’s dedication, noting that the former captain appears fully motivated to give his best and play until the 2027 ODI World Cup. India’s chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, described replacing Rohit as ODI captain as a “tough” call, emphasising that the senior players must continue scoring runs to retain their spots in the squad.
Rohit will be 41 by the time the 2027 World Cup is held across South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
At the award ceremony, Rohit credited former head coach Rahul Dravid for fostering a winning mindset that helped India secure victories in last year’s T20 World Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy.
India came close but fell short in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, losing to Australia in Ahmedabad. Despite that setback, Rohit and Dravid remained guiding forces, inspiring the T20 World Cup triumph. Following Dravid’s tenure, Rohit collaborated with Gautam Gambhir to steer the team to Champions Trophy success.
“That consistency in thought and execution helped both me and Rahul bhai during the 2024 T20 World Cup and again during the Champions Trophy. Although we didn’t cross the line in the 2023 final, the team had already committed to a new way of working. Everyone stuck to that,” Rohit said.
“All the players who were part of the Champions Trophy adopted that mindset – how to win games, how to challenge ourselves, how not to take anything for granted. We focused on bringing those qualities into every game,” he added.
India will play three ODIs and five T20Is in Australia in October-November. The ODI series will be closely watched as it marks the return of Rohit and Virat Kohli to international cricket for the first time since March.
