Rohit Sharma (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma on Tuesday politely declined a fan’s offer of a vada pav, keeping his focus firmly on preparations for India’s upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. The Indian batter, who recently turned out for Mumbai in two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, has been spending extended hours in training with the series set to begin on Sunday.
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A video circulating widely on social media shows him getting ready for a practice session when a fan approaches and asks in Marathi whether he would like a vada pav. Rohit responds with a smile, politely refusing the offer before resuming his training.Soon after the clip gained traction, the ‘Hitman’ posted a photo on Instagram of himself working in the nets, offering a glimpse into the effort he is putting in ahead of the series.The former India captain has enjoyed a landmark year, highlighted by a string of achievements and records. He played a decisive role in India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph, anchoring the final with a match-winning 76 to seal the title.Rohit also reached the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings for the first time in his career and moved up to become India’s third-highest run-scorer in the format. Last month, he joined an elite club by crossing 20,000 runs in international cricket during the third and final ODI against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, becoming only the fourth Indian to reach the milestone.His power-hitting credentials were further underlined in November when he overtook Shahid Afridi’s long-standing record for the most sixes in ODIs. The feat came in the first ODI against South Africa at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, where his 352nd maximum took him past Afridi’s 351, a record that had stood since 2015. With 279 ODIs under his belt, Rohit has now struck 355 sixes in the format.Rohit signed off the 2025 year with 650 runs from 14 innings at an average of 50.00 and a strike rate in excess of 100, including two centuries and four fifties, with a highest score of 121.
