Former India pace bowler Zaheer Khan has said that India and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has the ability and personality to absorb pressure in the game very well. However, Mumbai Indians will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first match in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League.

While speaking to Jio Cinema, Zaheer Khan said the captain’s role holds the utmost importance in the game as well, while praising Rohit for his decision-making ability in crucial stages of the game. Notably, Rohit Sharma has won five IPL titles with MI, all as captain as well.

“The captain’s role is of the utmost importance, the way he (Rohit Sharma) is thinking and taking decisions in crucial stages in a cool manner and the right decisions, and if it doesn’t go your way, how he is handling the situation. It is a long tournament and every game’s performance can have an impact in the next game,” said Zaheer Khan.

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“Rohit has the ability and personality to absorb pressure very well. The way he communicates in a cool way, not just with players but also in press conferences, I think that is his biggest strength,” Zaheer further added.

On the other hand, legendary India spinner Anil Kumble gave the hint that he wants to see Rohit bat in the middle order for Mumbai Indians, stating that he should be controlling the middle 7-15 overs in the IPL. However, Sharma was earlier used in the middle order by Mumbai in 2018 but played as an opener after that.

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“Especially with the current MI team, you need that experience in the middle order. There are some wonderful batters that MI possesses, but I think someone like Rohit Sharma in the middle, controlling seven to fifteen overs is extremely critical,” said Kumble. “He was not afraid to say what he had to say. He had plenty of experience around him and he reached out to them as well, but he took his own decisions. That’s what you want from a captain.”