"He’s a street-smart cricketer and more like Dhoni" - S Sreesanth hails Rohit Sharma's captaincy skills
Former pacer S Sreesanth praised current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's leadership skills by comparing it to former captain MS Dhoni.
While the duo have each captained their respective franchises to five IPL titles, Dhoni upstages Rohit in ICC titles. The former captain led India to titles in the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cups and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, Rohit has marshaled the troops admirably without crossing the final hurdle. The 36-year-old led India to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last year before captaining the side to the World Test Championship (WTC) and the ODI World Cup final this year.
Speaking to Firstpost, Sreesanth hailed Rohit's ability to back his bowlers and fielders even if they have an off-day similar to Dhoni.
"He’s a street-smart cricketer and he’s somebody more like Dhoni bhai who doesn’t just get off the scene straight away," Sreesanth said. "Even if the bowling’s not that great, even if the fielding’s not that great he makes sure he backs up the fielders, he backs up the fielders. It’s a great trend."
MS Dhoni has captained India in 332 games across formats, winning 178, while Rohit Sharma has won a remarkable 78 of his 105 games as the Men in Blue captain.
The current skipper also played under Dhoni during India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy triumphs.
"He’s been there as their brother and been there as their best friend" - Sreesanth on Rohit Sharma
Sreesanth cited the example of the recently concluded 2023 World Cup to highlight Rohit Sharma's impeccable captaincy qualities. The former pacer felt Rohit's ability to communicate with the players more than just a leader stood out.
Rohit also led the team from the front and was the tournament's second-leading run-scorer with 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of over 125.
"Even in the World Cup, the players who were not playing he was going to them asking for suggestions. Yes, he’s the captain but he’s been there as their brother and been there as their best friend. So it’s very important. So I think that’s one of the best qualities a captain can have," said Sreesanth.
Team India went on a remarkable run during the home World Cup, winning all nine league games and the semi-final before falling short in the final against Australia.
Following a grueling past few months, Rohit Sharma has been rested for the white-ball leg of the upcoming South African tour. He will return to lead the side in the two-match Test series against the Proteas.