"When he is in full flight, he’s one of the best players to watch" - Corey Anderson on Rohit Sharma
Former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson has heaped praise on Rohit Sharma, stating that India will become unstoppable if their captain gets going. Anderson, who has played under Sharma for the Mumbai Indians, observed how the right-handed batter makes batting look easy.
Sharma is arguably one of the best openers in modern-day cricket, especially in white-ball cricket. The 35-year-old, set to captain India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, is the highest run-getter in T20Is and holds the record for the joint-fastest ton in the format.
Speaking to News18, Anderson reckoned that the veteran is one of the best players to watch and that he can win several matches single-handedly when in full flow. The 31-year-old said:
"If Rohit does Rohit and bats like he can, they’re going to win more games than they don’t. When he is in full flight, he’s one of the best players to watch. Um, he makes it just look effortless and he makes batting look very, very easy. I think he probably needs to look within himself and, and do what he needs to do. I know the rest of that team obviously respects him and backs him. So if he does what he can do, they’re gonna do pretty well."
Under Sharma, India have climbed to the top of the ICC T20 rankings. They have solidified their position, headlined by recent series wins against England, West Indies, Australia, and South Africa. Hence, the Men in Blue will hope to break their ICC trophy drought this year.
"It can go either way in that regard" - Corey Anderson on playing an attacking brand of cricket
Anderson, who once held the record for the fastest ODI ton, reflected that an attacking approach comes with a downside as it deprives the best batters of big scores, adding:
"Yeah, it can go either way in that regard. I think if you’ve been told to keep going, sometimes, you lose your way a little bit. I think sometimes your ego comes into play and you wanna try and hit boundaries all the time. I think when you look at some of Rohit’s best innings, he’s either gets off to a flyer, cruise through the middle and then take off at the end, and that’s when he gets these big totals and obviously, Team India gets a massive total as well."
The Christchurch-born player last featured for the Kiwis in November 2018 and ended his New Zealand career in 2020 to pursue opportunities in the USA.