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File photo of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni© BCCI
India captain Rohit Sharma continues to remain absent from the national T20I side and has also taken a break from the ODI format for the series against South Africa. As fans remain hopeful of his return to white-ball cricket, there have been talks around his continuity as India’s skipper. Though India failed to win the ODI World Cup 2023 under Rohit’s leadership, the campaign for the hosts was far from a disappointing one. But, it’s also true that after MS Dhoni, no other Indian skipper has managed to crack the ICC code in the Indian team.
India’s veteran spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, analysing Rohit as a captain, a cricketer and a person, gave the most apt explanation of the respect the India skipper has in the dressing room.
“If you take a look at Indian cricket, everybody will be telling you that MS Dhoni is the best captain. (But), Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person, (and) he understands every single player in the team. He knows the likes and dislikes of each of us and has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each player personally,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Rohit walked the talk in the ODI World Cup, giving India splendid starts at the top in almost every match, including the final. But, it was the Australian team that emerged triumphant in the summit clash.
There were talks about Ashwin getting the nod in the final but that didn’t happen. The veteran off-spinner, however, was prepared to even cheer for the team from the bench.
“As far as I playing the final is concerned, the team combination and all is secondary. Firstly, it’s about empathy, (and) I keep stressing it a lot. It’s like standing in someone else’s shoes and looking at things from his/her perspective. Had I been in Rohit’s shoes, I would have thought 100 times about altering the (winning) combination. It was going alright for the team, so why rest a fast bowler for three spinners?,” Ashwin explained.
“Honestly, I understood Rohit Sharma’s thought process. Playing the final is big, (and) I was preparing for three days in the lead-up. At the same time, I was also prepared to cheer for the side and run in with energy drinks if I was not given the opportunity. I was mentally prepared for that as well,” Ashwin concluded.
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