‘Can Rohit Sharma's fitness get better? 100 percent’: Freshly relieved India coach shuts down recurring speculations

India's former strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai spoke in detail about Rohit Sharma and the speculations around his fitness.

Rohit Sharma may be away from the field for now, but his name continues to dominate cricket conversations. Having already announced his retirement from Test cricket before India’s ongoing series against England, Rohit is currently enjoying his time away from the spotlight. With no ODIs scheduled until India’s tour of Australia in October 2025, and having already stepped away from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup triumph, Rohit’s international career has entered a quieter phase.

India's captain Rohit Sharma reacts after the toss before the start of the ICC Champions Trophy final cricket match between India and New Zealand (AFP)

Despite his achievements and longevity, however, Rohit has often found himself at the centre of debates around fitness. Over the years, murmurs surrounding his fitness have persisted, even if they rarely reflected in his performances. His ability to play long innings, lead the side across all formats, and remain one of India’s best batters remained unaffected for long, but the chatter never quite faded.

In this context, Soham Desai, former strength and conditioning coach of the Indian team, has spoken out, firmly denying any recent fitness issues.

“People assume Rohit doesn’t work hard on his fitness. Given his history, for him to lead at the highest level for four years with a game or two missed is significant. He cannot do that by fluke, right? He must be doing something right. Can he get better? Yes, 100%. He will be the first one to say that. But to assume that he doesn’t work hard is a bit much,” Desai told the Indian Express.

Rohit Sharma, still the captain of India’s ODI side, stepped away from Test cricket after a prolonged slump with the bat in the format. His struggles reached a disastrous low during the Australia tour, where he managed just 31 runs in six innings. The decision to retire came on the heels of mounting criticism and a visible dip in red-ball form, while also marking a transition in the team with Virat Kohli, too, announcing his retirement a week after Rohit's decision.

Desai on Kohli's fitness

Kohli is widely considered a pioneer for Team India's fitness revolution, and Desai praised the former Indian captain for how he conducted his conditioning during his time with the team.

“What should I say about Virat? It has been an honour to coach a student like him. A model athlete. He started out wanting to be the best, he got there through sheer will. He was aggressive, hungry and wanted to be number one. Both Rohit and Virat had the same team vision—to dominate world cricket —they approached it differently,” said Desai.