IND vs SA 2022: "Rohit Sharma usually spends a lot of time with players who are out of form" - Parthiv Patel recounts playing under the Team India skipper
Former Team India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel recalled how Rohit Sharma bonded with his players while leading the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League.
The Gujarat-born cricketer played under Rohit Sharma for the five-time winners from 2015 to 2017. Patel was roped in by MI ahead of the 2015 season to open the innings and don the gloves as well.
Parthiv had a solid first season, where he scored 339 runs at a strike rate of 137.80 as the franchise secured their second title. However, he had a rough set of outings in the subsequent campaign and ended with only 177 runs at a poor strike rate of 116.44.
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Recalling that Rohit Sharma was constantly by his side during his rough patch, Patel said on Cricbuzz:
"Rohit Sharma usually spends a lot of time with players who are out of form. I was not having a good season in 2016. That year he spoke with me a lot, but when I was playing well in 2015 and 2017, there was not much talking involved. When you know that the captain is backing you, it makes a lot of difference."
Rohit Sharma has had a fruitful captaincy stint with the Mumbai Indians, having led the franchise to five titles, including one in his maiden season as captain in 2013. His exploits in the tournament led to the BCCI naming him as Virat Kohli's successor in all formats.
"Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid were quite clear in terms of their planning and they implemented it as well"- Parthiv Patel
The culmination of the T20 World Cup 2021 brought the curtains down on a crucial era in Indian cricket. The new and ongoing era sees skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid at the helm, with ICC events being prioritized over everything else. Despite their misfortune at the Asia Cup, the team have had a successful year so far in terms of results in the shortest format.
Thiruvananthapuram: Indian captain Rohit Sharma with head coach Rahul Dravid and other teamates during a practice session ahead of the 1st match of the T20 cricket series between India and South Africa, at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Tuesday, Sept. 27, https://t.co/fJNHnQUcqj
Praising the captain-coach duo for their vision for the team, Patel said:
"Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid were quite clear in terms of their planning and they implemented it as well. They gave Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik valuable game time today. They have rotated the bowlers consistently. Yes, Bumrah's injury is unfortunate, you cannot do anything about it. They also began using spinners in the powerplay as well."
Team India wrapped up their preparations for the World Cup with a 2-1 series win over South Africa on Tuesday, September 4 in Indore. This marked the Men in Blue's first series win over the Proteas on home soil.
Will the captain-coach duo be successful in ending Team India's quest for silverware soon? Let us know what you think.