Farhan Akhtar hails ‘superstar’ Rohit Sharma's decision to stand down, criticises those ‘tearing him down’

Farhan Akhtar said the “greatest batsmen and bowlers struggle for form”. He added that Rohit Sharma is “putting his team's chances of a win ahead of himself”.

Filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar has praised Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma after his decision to stand down from the ongoing fifth Australia Test. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Farhan praised 'superstar' Rohit and lauded his decision. (Also Read | Kalki Koechlin recalls what Farhan Akhtar asked her when they were linked by tabloids: ‘Before we move in…’)

Farhan Akhtar spoke about Rohit Sharma in his latest post.

Farhan Akhtar praises Rohit Sharma

Farhan wrote that instead of people applauding Rohit for his “selflessness, the majority is tearing him down”. He shared a picture of Rohit batting. Sharing the photo, Farhan captioned the post, “Just have to get this off my chest ..This guy has done so much for Indian cricket and captained our team incredibly well and successfully over the years.”

He continued, "His skill with the bat speaks for itself and there have been innumerable innings in which he’s shown us the elite level he performs at. Yes, this sport can be cruel and you’d be hard pressed to come up with a name of a cricketer who hasn’t gone through a lean period."

Farhan on ‘greatest batsmen, bowlers' struggling for form

"We’ve seen the greatest batsmen and bowlers struggle for form .. at times we’ve secretly wished that they would take a break, find their form in domestic cricket or the nets, then make a comeback. You’d be hard pressed to think of someone, more so a captain, who did that voluntarily. Now here’s a guy who’s putting his teams chances of a win ahead of himself finding form and instead of being applauded for his selflessness, the majority is tearing him down," Farhan added.

Farhan hopes to see Rohit soon on field

"Ask yourself.. why would anyone do this again if this is how the world responds to a man thinking of the larger cause than his own glory? @rohitsharma45 You’re a superstar. You know what you’re doing and I know you won’t let the negativity get you down.. but just want to say thank you for showing the world that you put team before individual. It’s a hard thing to do and only the strongest of mind and heart can do it. That’s what makes a great leader. See you back on the field soon," concluded his note.

About Rohit's performance

On Saturday, Rohit said that he stood down because he was not in form, but insisted he was not retiring. The opener has had a poor series, with critics suggesting his omission from the Test – with the visitors down 2-1 going into the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground – was the end of his red-ball career. Rohit told Star Sports at the SCG, "I'm not going anywhere. This decision is not a retirement decision nor am I going to step aside from the game."

Rohit missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child. He has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings. Rohit said that he had told the coach and selectors that he was "not in form" and that for the critical final Test, the team needed "a player in form". Rohit quit T20 international cricket last year after lifting the World Cup.

Farhan's upcoming film

Fans will see Farhan as an army officer, Maj Shaitan Singh PVC, in the military action film 120 Bahadur. Directed by Razneesh Ghai, it is set against the backdrop of the 1962 Indo-China war. 120 Bahadur will release in 2025.