Rohit Sharma sharpens white-ball skills ahead of Champions Trophy: WATCH

India captain Rohit Sharma has been honing his whiteball skills in preparation for the upcoming ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy In a video on Instagram the 37yearold was seen playing his signature shots including flicks drives lofted hits and pulls against the white ball during a training sessionView this post on InstagramA post shared by Rohit Sharma rohitsharma45Mumbai face Jammu and Kashmir on January 23 but Rohits participation in the match remains in doubt Indias Champions Trophy campaign begins on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai following the ODI series against England starting February 6Rohits recent performances in redball cricket have raised concerns During the Australia tour he managed only 31 runs in five innings across three Tests The 202425 Test season in particular was dismal for Rohit as he could muster only 164 runs in eight matches and 15 innings at an average of 1093 with his highest score being 52a solitary halfcentury against BangladeshAs captain Rohit experienced some embarrassing lows recently Just before the Test series against Australia India suffered their first home Test series loss in 12 years going down 03 to New Zealand This was also Indias firstever whitewash in a home Test series of three matches or moreAfter India won the first Test against Australia at Perth by 295 runs under the captaincy of Jasprit Bumrah Rohit returned to the side following the birth of his second child However his return saw mixed results India lost the pinkball Test at Adelaide managed a draw in the third Test at Brisbane but succumbed to defeats in the Boxing Day and New Years Tests at Melbourne and Sydney respectivelyIn the 2024 calendar year Rohit lost six Tests including four at home This led to a decline in his record as a Test captain with 12 wins nine losses and three drawsHowever there remains little doubt about Rohits whiteball credentials He finished the 2024 calendar year as a T20 World Cupwinning captain amassing 378 runs in 11 matches at an average of 4200 and a strike rate of 16016 His performances included a century and three halfcenturies with a top score of 121 In the T20 World Cup Rohit was the secondhighest rungetter and Indias top scorer accumulating 257 runs in eight matches at an average of 3671 and a strike rate of 15670 with three halfcenturiesRohit played just three ODIs last year all against Sri Lanka scoring 157 runs at an average of 5233 and an impressive strike rate of 14144 including two halfcenturies and a top score of 64Since 2023 Rohit has significantly improved his ODI game blending consistency with explosive intent in the powerplay In 30 ODIs since then he has scored 1412 runs at an average of 5229 and a strike rate of 11935 with two centuries and 11 fifties His best score was 131 His incredible ICC Cricket World Cup campaign last year at home further highlighted his form Rohit ended as the tournaments secondhighest rungetter with 597 runs in 11 matches at an average of 5427 and a strike rate of 12594 His performances included a century and three halfcenturies with the best score of 131