India captain Rohit Sharma and his wife Ritika Sajdeh were blessed with a baby boy earlier this month. With Ritika’s due delivery date close to the 1st Test against Australia in Perth, Rohit decided to skip the match, which India won by 295 runs under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit and Ritika’s son was born on November 15, 2024 and the latter has now revealed the name of the newborn. Taking to Instagram, Ritika shared a photo of a Christmas-themed family cutout.
The post was simply captioned “December”. The cutout depicted Rohit as “Ro,” Ritika as “Rits,” their daughter Samaira as “Sammy,” and their newborn son named “Ahaan.”
“Ahaan” is the name of Junior Rohit Sharmapic.twitter.com/in71WMuHWA
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) December 1, 2024
In November, Rohit had subtly announced the family’s new addition with a reference to the beloved sitcom Friends. His post, captioned “15.11.2024,” hinted at the date of birth of their second child and read, “The FAMILY, the one where we are four.” Rohit and Ritika’s first child, Samaira, was born in 2018.
Due to the birth of his second child, Rohit did not travel with the Indian team to Perth ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series opener. Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah stepped in as captain and led the team to a resounding 295-run victory.
Rohit later joined the team for the pink-ball warm-up match against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra. The two-day match, shortened to one day due to rain, took place on Sunday. Rohit batted at number four, a deviation from his usual opening role, and managed only three runs off 11 balls. He is set to return to his usual position for the Adelaide pink-ball day-night Test starting on December 6.
The upcoming Test series is crucial for India as they aim to secure a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final. Rohit, too, will be keen to make a significant impact.
In seven Test matches in Australia, Rohit has scored 408 runs at an average of 31.38, with three half-centuries and a top score of 63*. However, his recent form has been underwhelming. In five Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand, he managed only 133 runs in 10 innings, averaging 13.30, with a highest score of 52. His home season scores read: 6, 5, 23, 8, 2, 52, 0, 8, 18, and 11.
In 2023, Rohit amassed 588 runs in 11 Tests (21 innings) at an average of 29.40, with two centuries, two fifties, and a top score of 131. During the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, he has scored 833 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 33.32, including three centuries and four fifties, with a best score of 131.
(With ANI Inputs)