Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India showcased a memorable performance in the recently concluded 2023 ODI World Cup, remaining unbeaten until the final where they narrowly missed out on the title. Despite falling short of ultimate glory, Rohit Sharma’s captaincy received praise, further solidifying his status as one of India’s finest leaders.
Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth went on to draw parallels between the captaincy styles of Rohit and the legendary MS Dhoni, who led India to three major ICC titles during his tenure. Sreesanth highlighted Rohit’s street-smart approach to the game, akin to Dhoni, emphasizing the captain’s ability to back up his team in various situations.
“He’s (Rohit) a street-smart cricketer and he’s somebody more like Dhoni bhai who doesn’t just get off the scene straight away,” remarked Sreesanth in an interview with Firstpost. “Even if the bowling’s not that great, even if the fielding’s not that great he makes sure he backs up the fielders, he backs up the fielders. It’s a great trend. Even in the World Cup, the players who were not playing he was going to them asking for suggestions.”
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Sreesanth commended Rohit’s dual role as a captain and a supportive figure, likening him to a brother and a best friend to his teammates. Such qualities, according to Sreesanth, contribute to effective captaincy.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni jointly hold the record for the most title wins as captains, each guiding their franchises to five trophies. Looking ahead, India is set to tour South Africa, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rested from the white-ball leg of the tour. The duo is expected to return for the two-match Test series.
Sreesanth had words of praise for Virat Kohli, who had a record-breaking performance with the bat at the ODI World Cup, earning the Player of the Tournament award. Sreesanth identified Kohli and KL Rahul as India’s X-factors for the upcoming Tests.
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“Virat loves to keep proving, rather than to anybody but to himself. I think he’s that cricketer who actually plays with that pride and he takes that pride in a very good way, not in an egoistic way. So pride for me, and for Virat also I’m sure it’s like personal responsibility in delivering excellence. So, I will go with Virat and KL Rahul,” concluded Sreesanth.
