Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his support for India captain Rohit Sharma’s aggressive approach during the recent World Cup. Sharma’s strategy emphasized a rapid start, aiming to set a solid foundation for the innings and put pressure on the opposition early on. This tactic proved effective throughout the tournament, with India consistently securing a strong advantage in the opening overs.
Sharma’s batting prowess was evident throughout the World Cup, as he emerged as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, amassing a total of 597 runs in 11 matches. His strike rate of 125 highlighted his ability to score quickly and efficiently, particularly during the powerplay overs, where he accumulated 354 runs at a strike rate of 133, including a barrage of boundaries with 42 fours and 21 sixes.
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Despite criticism for not converting his starts into larger scores, particularly in the final where he fell short of a century, Ravichandran Ashwin strongly defended Sharma’s approach, emphasizing the importance of intent in a captain’s decision-making.
“Rohit Sharma does not need to be taught to score hundreds. It is the intent which counts,” Ravichandran Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin also lamented the loss of Shreyas Iyer’s wicket early in the final, praising the Indian batter for overcoming his previous struggles against short balls.
“Spinners were clobbered by Iyer and it was a setback that we could not get that in the final,” Ravichandran Ashwin explained. “He took an oath to master the pull shot and faced countless balls and worked on it. He got out a couple of times to it, but look at the number of short balls he hit for boundaries.”
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Ravichandran Ashwin’s comments underscore the importance of a captain’s strategic approach and the impact it can have on a team’s performance. Sharma’s aggressive tactics, while not without their risks, played a significant role in India’s success during the World Cup.
