India skipper Rohit Sharma's struggle for runs has continued in Australia, and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes that Rohit may decide to step down as captain if runs continue to elude him in the last two matches of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Melbourne and Sydney.
Speaking on ABC Sport, Gavaskar said Rohit won't leave it to the BCCI selectors to take that call.
"I think Rohit obviously will get the opportunity to play in the next couple of matches, that's for sure. But maybe at the end of it, if he hasn't scored runs, my feeling is that he himself will take the call," said Gavaskar.
Rohit has batted in the middle order so far in this series after joining the team from the second Test onwards and allowed KL Rahul to open as he had rediscovered his form at the top of the order.
The skipper has been struggling ever since the Test series at home against New Zealand and Bangladesh before his arrival in Australia. Against Bangladesh, Rohit aggregated just 42 runs in four innings and against New Zealand 91 runs in six innings.
In the ongoing BGT, his knocks so far read 3, 6, and 10.
"He's a very conscientious cricketer, he will not want to be a burden on the team," Gavaskar continued. "He's a cricketer who cares very deeply for Indian cricket. So if he doesn't score runs in the next couple of games, I think he himself will step down."
India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, who was part of the Indian team that won its last two series in Australia, said Rohit has put himself in self-doubt by not playing in position, i.e. an opener, where he is the most comfortable.
"He has been opening the innings, now he's batting at number 6 (in Australia). That is for the team, but I still feel that when you are so much used to opening the innings and when you have to wait, then you put yourself in that doubt. I mean, it doesn't help you when you're opening the innings and you suddenly start batting at number 6," said Pujara while talking on Star Sports.
