NEW DELHI: Jonty Rhodes, the fielding coach for
Lucknow Super Giants
(
LSG
), commented on the rumors surrounding India captain Rohit Sharma's potential move to the franchise for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
With the mega auction for
IPL 2025
approaching, there has been growing uncertainty regarding Rohit's future, particularly his potential departure from Mumbai Indians, the team he has been associated with for many years.
Having worked closely with Rohit during their time together at Mumbai Indians, which has won the IPL title five times, Rhodes, a former South African cricketer himself, expressed his admiration for the experienced opener's abilities and contributions to the team.
"I mean, for a long time at Mumbai Indians, I felt I had the best job in the world. I got to watch Rohit Shama practice and play cricket. He is so elegant," Rhodes told ANI.
While Rhodes admires the elegance Rohit brings to the field, he doesn't believe Rohit's presence is essential for LSG's pursuit of success.
"I mean, there's the balance of teams, who's in the side. I love watching Rohit Sharma bat, but I'm not saying he must come in and replace, and then suddenly we change our setup. So whatever, as I said, whatever happens, who is ever there? I'll be doing my best to support," he added.
In addition to the speculation surrounding Rohit's future, the spotlight has also been on franchise captain
KL Rahul's uncertain situation.
Rumors suggest that Rahul may not play again for LSG, following what appeared to be a reprimand from franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka after their defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
When asked about Rahul's future, Rhodes expressed relief that he wouldn't be responsible for making decisions regarding player retention.
"Well, luckily, hypothetically, or in real life, that's as a fielding coach. I don't have to worry about that just now," he added.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders in cricket history, Rhodes remains actively involved in the sport long after retiring from his playing career.
Beyond coaching, Rhodes continues to explore various roles in cricket, including being named the brand ambassador for the inaugural season of the Pro Cricket League (PCL).
As he embarks on this new adventure, Rhodes remains committed to personal growth, striving to continuously improve as a human being.
"I think what a learning curve is seeing if I can sit off the field. As a coach, you don't get involved during the game, but it leads to a part of the buildup, part of the preparation. So I will have to see if I have got the patience to be able to sit and watch the whole thing to still be able to do a little bit of coaching, but yeah, a very new role, and it's a part of evolving as an individual. As a cricket player, you always evolve. You have to work on your technique and your skills, so yes, I'm trying to improve my skills as a human being," he stated.
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