Childhood coach Dinesh Lad expects Rohit Sharma to single-handedly win India the 2023 World Cup
Indian cricket team opener Rohit Sharma's childhood coach Dinesh Lad believes that the former has the potential to single-handedly win the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup for India.
Rohit Sharma was fantastic for India at the 2019 World Cup as he scored five hundreds and helped India top the league phase. However, he could not continue his form in the semi-final against New Zealand, meaning that the Men In Blue bowed out of the tournament.
Lad expressed his happiness on Rohit Sharma winning the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, stating that the latter truly deserved it. In fact, Lad also talked about how Rohit Sharma had overcome his financial problems and had not let those act as an impediment to his career.
"Getting the Khel Ratna is a great achievement. I should not say this but if a poor boy has talent and he justifies it and has luck, then that boy can reach the sky and a living example of it is Rohit Sharma. All that he has earned due to his hard work and talent. My expectation is that the forthcoming 50-over World Cup, Rohit should win it for India on his own ability," Lad said on Marathi cricket chat show "Coffee Cricket Ani Barech Kahi".
Dinesh Lad recalls his first meeting with Rohit Sharma
Dinesh Lad had first seen Rohit Sharma in the final of a 10-over tournament in Borivali. The current Mumbai Indians skipper was playing against Lad's side, the coach was impressed by Rohit Sharma's bowling.
Subsequently, Dinesh Lad started persuading the Indian opener to join his school.
"There was one camp organised in Borivali, and there were some matches organised. I had put my school's team and Rohit's team came into the final and it was a 10 over game on a cement wicket, we won that game.That time our school was new and I used to search for kids, the way Rohit bowled, I was impressed and thought that we should take this kid to our school," Lad said.
Although Rohit Sharma's uncle could not afford the school fees, Lad insisted the former to join his school. In fact, he even asked the director of that school to waive off Rohit Sharma's fees.
Consequently, the Indian limited-overs vice-captain started getting coached by Dinesh Lad - something that ultimately laid the foundation for Rohit Sharma to become one of the most dangerous white-ball batsmen ever.