India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma is quickly becoming a notable limited-overs leader for India. In regular skipper Virat Kohli’s absence, the opening batsman has done a brilliant job in the ongoing Asia Cup 2018 in the UAE.
Not just this, he was also on top of his role in the Nidahas Trophy earlier this year, as well. Rohit looks all set to be in a prime position in sealing his 3rd tournament victory as skipper.
As India beat Pakistan once again, this time in the Super Four, the Indian team is in a strong position now to seal the trophy. They have already booked a berth in the finale. Kudos to Rohit for slamming a fantastic ton as he hit three successive 50+ scores in the ongoing continental showpiece event.
Rohit’s charisma and confidence has rubbed off on the team and they look like a bunch of players who are ecstatic playing their respective roles. Although seeing the phenomenal rise of Sharma, there have been some claims in media and among fans as in Rohit deserves to be a regular ODI and T2oI skipper. But that’s jumping the gun too soon.
Here we look at how Rohit has come forward in being a fantastic skipper and why it is unfair to start making comparisons with Kohli.
leadership role being absorbed well
Captaincy has given Rohit the platform to excel with the bat. The added burden of leading the side has got him to produce his A game. The best part about Rohit’s innings is his tempo and the willingness to bat throughout the innings and be there till the end. This shows a decisive sign of maturity.
His knock against Pakistan was class written all over. For him to be there and make sure that the ship sails smoothly gave India total domination. His sublime century ensured that he went past the 7,000-run mark in ODIs and became just the ninth Indian to achieve the same.
The captaincy tag has rubbed off well on Rohit, who is excelling with the bat like a champion batsman. He isn’t shying away from leadership duties and his 100% record so far in the Asia Cup 2018 gives everyone the assurance that the team is in safe hands.
Experience in shorter formats is crucial
The senior batsman isn’t new to captaincy and has guided Mumbai Indians to India Premier League titles on more than one occasion. Rohit has been an extraordinary player in the shorter formats and that has been telling in his role as a skipper as well.
Further, his performances with the bat have improved drastically. He has attributes of a fine wine, who knows how to go about his game and when to apply the pressure. Moreover, his knowledge of the game makes him a sound personality and the experience has been showing.
Also, the Nidahas Trophy victory gives him the confidence in understanding the scenario better. Although both formats were different, the experience of the team too played a part in assuring Rohit of doing his job in an able manner.
Dhawan has complimented Rohit superbly
Rohit knows the team in and out and his understanding of situations is better than most. The flamboyant batsman knows how to get the best out of his team and his bowling changes are decisive. He has been patient as a skipper and hasn’t tried out fancy stuff whenever he has led the Indian side.
Also, his understanding with Shikhar Dhawan is a plus and they compliment each other well while batting. He is a rather simpleton in donning the leadership cap. A crucial aspect is the batsman’s understanding with opening partner Dhawan is a plus and they compliment each other well while batting.
The duo has created a mark for themselves and the time spent all these years have aided them. Against Pakistan, the 210 runs for the opening wicket on Sunday was another extraordinary achievement. What gets them going is that the trust they have built and that has come out in the form of scoring runs emphatically.
A total of 3,846 runs as an opening pair in ODIs alongside a 13th 100+ partnership, is by no means a small achievement in cricket.
Gavaskar in awe of Rohit
has been lauded for his captaincy by former India opening batsman and captain Sunil Gavaskar. His last two outings have been unbeaten knocks.
“Every time he has got an opportunity to captain India, he has shown his acumen,” said Gavaskar to ICC’s official website. “He has shown how patient he can be, and then as a batsman, the added responsibility only makes him better.”
Gavaskar has been in awe of Rohit since his captaincy assignment for Mumbai in the IPL. “The first time he led Mumbai Indians to an IPL win, that was his first season as a captain and he impressed straight away with his knowledge of what to do next more than what to plan,” said Gavaskar.
Unfair to compare him with Kohli
It’s highly unfair and unnecessary talk of comparing Rohit’s style versus Kohli’s. In fact, what bodes well for Rohit here is that he has learned so much from both Kohli and former skipper MS Dhoni. Every skipper has his specialities. Rohit is no different and his style suits the side.
Perhaps, he could be given more opportunities, but these calls for comparisons are baseless. At the moment it is unfair to compare Rohit with Kohli, with both being on top of their leadership roles and consistency with the bat.
Rohit is still fresh as a skipper and he hasn’t yet led the side outside the sub-continent. Further, Rohit hasn’t yet captained against the big guns in cricket.