"He'll go down as one of the best captains ever alongside Dhoni" - Ravi Shastri hails Rohit Sharma
Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri has opined that Rohit Sharma will be considered one of the greatest Indian captains of all time after leading the nation to the 2024 T20 World Cup title. Sharma took over the captaincy from Virat Kohli across formats gradually after the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma led India to the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup, as well as the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship (WTC). He also forged an excellent dynamic with head coach Rahul Dravid, and has been responsible for India adopting an aggressive format, matching the modern-day demands.
As a captain, he also has won five IPL titles with the Mumbai Indians, a dominant run that began from the 2013 season. He has often been compared to MS Dhoni, but at the same time, has stood apart in the league of captains in his own way.
“As a tactician, let's not forget that he's been an outstanding guy. He'll go down as one of the best captains ever alongside Dhoni. If you ask me who's better, I'd say both are on par when it comes to tactics in the white-ball game. I can't pay a bigger compliment to Rohit than that because you know what MS has done and the titles he has won," Shastri said on the ICC Review.
Shastri also shed light on Sharma's performance as captain in the T20 World Cup, especially the final, where the game almost got out of reach.
“Rohit is not far behind and I thought tactically he was just outstanding in this year's (T20) World Cup. Just the calmness, the ability to get a (Jasprit) Bumrah or a (Hardik) Pandya, or even an Axar Patel at just the right time when needed was great to see,” he added.
Apart from the bowling masterclass at the death, Sharma's captaincy also played a huge hand in India making a remarkable comeback in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa.
"Will walk into any white-ball team they pick, irrespective of the era" - Ravi Shastri on Rohit Sharma
Ravi Shastri also elaborated on what makes Rohit Sharma a huge threat to the opposition. The Hitman's power game has reached another level with the modern-day game encouraging such an approach. He has gone all out in recent times, and that approach has paid him and the team dividends as well.
“I think a giant in the white-ball game,” said Shastri. “One of the all-time greats. One of the best who have ever played. Will walk into any white-ball team they pick, irrespective of the era. Just because of the dynamic ability he has at the top," Shastri opined on the aforementioned program.
“The thing with Rohit Sharma is he plays the big shots, he scores quickly, but they're all cricketing shots. What amazes me, there's not an element of sloppiness. I mean, it just shows how much time he has on his hands to play the best and the power – people forget that this man is explosive. He's got power,” Shastri concluded.
The Indian skipper will be seen in action for the first time since the T20 World Cup final during the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka.