Paternity over national duty!

By Chander Shekhar Luthra.

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has informed the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) that he will be missing the opening Test against Australia in Perth starting on November 22 as he wants to spend more time with his new-born son.

Rohit became a father for the second time on Friday (November 15) when his wife Ritika Sajdeh gave birth to a child in Mumbai. Rohit, in all probability, would join the team for the second day-and-night (pink ball) Test in Adelaide. Rohit’s choice has spurred discussion about striking a balance between work and personal goals, exposing the different viewpoints on leadership and family priorities within the cricket community.

This is not the first time in recent years that a professional cricketer has chosen to prioritise personal duties over national calls.

On two occasions, former India captain Virat Kohli prioritised his family over cricket. First, he skippered three Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January 2021 in order to welcome his first kid, Vamika. Virat took his second paternity leave in February 2024, missing England’s Test series to be with his wife, cinema actress Anushka Sharma, to welcome his son Akaay in London.

Not to mention, in the opening Test at Adelaide, when Kohli decided to fly back and hand over the reigns to Ajinkya Rahane, India lost the series 0-1 after being bowled out for just 36, the lowest Test total in the history of Indian cricket.

In September 2023, India’s speedster Jasprit Bumrah celebrated the birth of his first child, Angad. Bumrah rejoined the team during the Super Four stage after leaving the Asia Cup halfway to attend the birth.

However, there are also examples where top players have prioritised their nations over themselves in recent times. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was captaining India at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015; hence, he missed the birth of his child. India, then, won seven matches in a row before losing to Australia in the semifinal.

At that moment, Dhoni stated: “I believe everything else can wait because I am on national duties.” Interestingly, he only learned he was a father via text message for the first time.

Much before him, in the 1975-76 twin tour of New Zealand and the West Indies, legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar didn’t ask BCCI for permission to be with his wife when his only son Rohan was born. In fact, he didn’t see his son for many months.

However, Gavaskar now has a different take on Rohit’s decision, suggesting that if he misses the first Test, he should continue to participate as a player for the remainder of the series rather than as a captain. Essentially, Gavaskar advocates for Bumrah to remain the team’s captain throughout the entire series.

Another former India skipper and former BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly, has urged Rohit to reconsider his decision and travel to Australia in time for the Perth Test. Ganguly emphasised the importance of Rohit’s leadership in the high-stakes series, which he believes could be the 37-year-old’s final tour of Down Under.

About the Writer: Chander Shekhar Luthra is a senior sports journalist based in Delhi with a unique background as a former cricketer turned journalist. As an ex-Ranji player, he brings over 27 years of expertise covering a wide array of sports events. His work includes in-depth coverage and analysis of ICC Cricket World Cups, the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. He can be reached at shekhar.luthra@gmail.com.

Twitter: @shekharluthra