Rohit Sharma teases Tilak Varma with viral 'garden me aaya hai' remark, MI youngster cleverly points at 'Eden Gardens'

Rohit Sharma's bond with Team India's budding talents has flourished ever since assuming the side's captaincy in 2021. Under his leadership, many youngsters have made their debuts in the Indian team, a testament to Rohit's guidance and camaraderie in the dressing room. While the traditional hierarchy between senior players and newcomers persists, Rohit and the emerging talents have a positive dynamic, evident in their on-field interactions.

In the recent Test series against England, Rohit Sharma exhibited exemplary leadership amid challenges from player absences, be it due to injuries or personal commitments. Despite these setbacks, Rohit's adept captaincy steered the team through turbulent waters, showcasing his ability to rally the squad even in adversity. Throughout the series, Rohit's camaraderie with the youngsters reflected well on the field, and several of his one-liners towards the players – often said in jest or in the heat of the moment – became talking points on social media platforms.

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During one such moment, Rohit, urging his players to put more effort on the field, told them they weren't walking in a garden. "Garden me ghoomne nahi aaye," Rohit said, which went viral on social media platforms. On Friday, Rohit recreated the moment with Mumbai Indians' youngster Tilak Varma – who also made his IPL debut under Rohit's captaincy at the franchise in 2022.

Seeing Tilak wearing sandals during the pre-match preparations, Rohit quipped, “Aye hero, kya kar raha hai bhai? Chappal mein ghum raha hai, garden me aaya hai kya? (Aye hero, what are you doing? Wearing chappals, are you wandering in a garden?)."

Tilak had a clever reply to Rohit's remark; he said, “Hai na bhaiya, Eden Gardens (Yes, it's Eden Gardens!)”

Watch:

Rohit Sharma was the captain of Mumbai Indians till last year; in December, Hardik Pandya succeeded the opener as the side's new skipper. However, Hardik endured a tough outing in his maiden season with the franchise, as MI became the first team to get eliminated from the playoffs race. The side is currently reeling at the bottom of the table with 8 points in 12 matches.

MI meet KKR

Mumbai Indians will play for pride when they meet the Kolkata Knight Riders in a bid to reach double figures in the points table. KKR, meanwhile, are almost assured of a playoff spot in the season and are currently at the top of the table with 16 points to their name. A win would take them two points clear of the second-placed Rajasthan Royals.