Former India pacer Zaheer Khan praised Rohit Sharma for being calm under pressure and excelling as the captain of the Indian team. On Sunday, November 5, India secured their eighth win of World Cup 2023 after beating South Africa by 243 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Zaheer praised the 36-year-old Rohit for not allowing the intensity to dip in the team and making sure that everyone stayed switched on as well.

“He is someone who likes to work behind the scenes. So, what you are seeing on the pitch is the preparation, which is very important with regards to his captaincy. He likes spending time with all the guys, talking to the support staff and players, discussing various scenarios. That has been the hallmark of how he approaches the game,” Zaheer told Crizbuzz.

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“What I like about him is that he is very calm under pressure. He might be animated at times, but that doesn’t mean he is feeling the pressure. He is very calm in terms of backing his instincts while making the decisions,” he further added. “He has been winning trophies and that is something which comes naturally to him, that drive is there to think of the team and he knows to win tournaments. To achieve that, you have got to get everyone switched on. He has done a terrific job of doing that, leading up to this campaign, defining what kind of approach the team should have.”

Electing to bat first, India posted a massive score of 326 for the loss of five wickets in 50 overs on the back of Virat Kohli’s 49th hundred in ODIs. Shreyas Iyer scored a handy 77-run knock off 87 balls with seven fours and two sixes. After that, Ravindra Jadeja claimed five wickets as India bowled South Africa out for 83 in 27.1 overs. After defeating Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai earlier this year, India became the first team to book their berth in the semis as well.