Cheteshwar Pujara, the veteran Indian batter, offered clarity on Rohit Sharma's much-talked-about "Garden mein ghoomne wale log" in a recent talk show. Rohit's remark, which had gone viral, was made during the Test series against England in March 2024. However, contrary to what some interpreted as a public dig, Pujara explained that members of Team India took it sportingly, knowing that it was just a part of Rohit's unique and lighthearted leadership style.

Speaking about the now-famous quip, Pujara, in an interview on Lallantop said, “It was not like Rohit was deliberately teasing or slamming someone. That’s just his way of explaining things to the younger lot.”

Adding that Rohit uses such humorous phrases to convey important messages during matches, the 37-year-old added,

”He communicates that way to the players... Nobody felt bad, everyone knows Rohit and his way of talking. Players don’t feel bad because they know he does not want to hurt someone.”

The episode had transpired way back in March 2024, during India’s famous 4-1 Test series win against England. It was a campaign where a host of youngsters made their debuts and rose to the occasion in the absence of key players, including Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, and R Ashwin, at various junctures in the series.

After sealing the series at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, Rohit had posted a celebratory image on his social media along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel, and wittingly captioned: “Garden mein ghoomne wale bande.” While many fans enjoyed the caption, it was also seen as a subtle callback to a viral stump mic moment earlier in the series.

That moment had occurred during the second Test in Visakhapatnam, where an animated Rohit was caught on the mic urging the younger players to stay alert and not treat their fielding positions like a stroll in the garden — a comment that quickly gained traction online.

Despite the sharp tone, Pujara has now made it clear that the remark was internally understood for what it was — a motivating nudge rather than a reprimand.

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