Will retire when I feel I am not good enough, says Rohit Sharma
Dharamsala, Mar 09: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said he has been playing the best cricket of his life at present but he will bid adieu to the sport on the day when he feels "not good enough."
Rohit, whose side thrashed England by an innings and 64 runs here on Saturday to clinch the five-match Test series 4-1, added that the youngsters in the side played with a lot of maturity and soaked in the pressure, which really stood out during the contest.
"One day, when I wake up and feel, I am not good enough then I will retire straightaway. But in the last few years I am playing the best cricket of my life," Rohit told Jio Cinema after the fifth Test ended in less than three days.
Rohit has been India's best Test batter in the last five years, having struck nine centuries since 2019, the year he started opening the innings in the longest format.
The BCCI had also confirmed that Rohit will lead the Indian team in the upcoming T20 World Cup being jointly hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
In January, he scored a whirlwind century against Afghanistan in a T20I to show his hunger to score runs and also to lead the side.
Crediting the team for the series win against England he said, "When you win a Test like this, everything has to fall in place. At some stage people are gonna (go) and people are gonna come and we know that.
"These (young) guys are maybe short of experience, they have played a lot of cricket and I can stand here and see that these guys responded pretty well under pressure. The credit goes to the entire team and it was pleasing to see."
Yashasvi Jaiswal stood out with his twin double centuries, while Shubman Gill struck two centuries as they complemented the skipper, who himself had two tons to his credit in the series.
The skipper added that India are typically slow to start in a Test series but get up to speed soon, adding that he was disappointed that the Test series against South Africa last year was just a two-game affair.
India lost the opening Test but came back strongly to defeat the Proteas to level the series in the second match.
"We typically lose the first Test and then improve in the subsequent matches, so I was disappointed that we only played a two-match Test series in South Africa," said Rohit.
He added that while the talk centered around players scoring centuries, due credit should also be give to the bowlers for taking 20 wickets.
"When you win a series like this, we talk about scoring runs and 100s but it is important to take 20 wickets to win a Test. The way bowlers took responsibility was pleasing to see.
"It was over a period of time that we had a conversation (with Kuldeep Yadav), he's got a lot of potential and when the chips were down in the first innings (in Dharamsala), he bowled really well.
"After his injury, he came back and worked at the NCA and he is putting a lot of effort and the most pleasing thing was his batting," added Rohit.
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Congress committed to social justice, says Karnataka CM; hits out at JD(S), BJP
BJP Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress remains firmly committed to social justice, both in principle and practice.
"The Congress is a party committed to social justice. This ideological commitment has been demonstrated not merely through words but through action," the CM said in a statement, underlining that the party has consistently translated its philosophy into governance.
He said his recent article marking Social Justice Day has sparked debate.
Defending the piece, he said: "An article I wrote for a newspaper as part of Social Justice Day celebrations has sparked multifaceted debate in the state’s political circles. If water remains stagnant, it turns into slush; if it flows, it becomes clearer."
"The social system is similar—if it does not remain rigid and instead becomes dynamic, it transforms in a people-centric manner. From this perspective, I welcome the discussion surrounding my article," he added.
Stating that his commitment to social justice is longstanding, the CM said, "Whether in power or out of it, my stand in favour of social justice has remained unwavering. I have greater clarity about the caste system among us than the politicians criticising me."
"I am prepared for a public debate on this issue," Siddaramaiah added.
Responding to criticism from Union Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy, he said, "I have taken his allegation—that I have ‘dragged caste into the picture for the sake of a chair’—lightly."
Launching a sharp attack on JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his family, Siddaramaiah added, "Kumaraswamy and his revered father Deve Gowda are certainly not casteists; they are against their own caste. More importantly, they are family-centric. For them, caste is merely a vote bank."
He alleged that past, present, and future top JD(S) leaders would always be members of the Gowda family, questioning how many Vokkaliga leaders the party had nurtured during Deve Gowda’s long political career.
The CM maintained that it was the Congress that had identified and politically groomed Vokkaliga leaders.
"From Kengal Hanumanthaiah to S M Krishna, hundreds of Vokkaliga leaders have been nurtured. If Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Kadidal Manjappa, and S M Krishna became chief ministers, it was because of the Congress," he said, adding that several prominent Vokkaliga leaders are currently in the party.
"If one day anyone other than a member of Deve Gowda’s family becomes chief minister, it will be through the Congress," he noted.
Highlighting inclusivity, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has enabled leaders from Vokkaliga, Lingayat, and backward communities to become chief ministers in Karnataka, and expressed gratitude to party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for giving him a second term.
He added that leaders from the Dalit community who rise to the CM's post do so on merit, not merely caste. "I can confidently say that if someone from the Dalit community becomes chief minister in the future, it will be possible only through the Congress,” he reiterated.
He questioned whether the JD(S) or the BJP in the state is capable of fostering such aspirations. "This is the difference between the Congress, the BJP and JD(S). Therefore, I urge those accusing me of practising caste politics to introspect," the CM said.
