"He said you have to think like an opposition captain" - When a young Rohit Sharma credited Yuvraj Singh for making him an improved batter
Rohit Sharma is the captain of the Indian Test and ODI team. He was also the leader of the Men in Blue outfit that lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup. Over the last few years, the Hitman has been an indispensable part of the Indian side, but that was not always the case.
While there has never been any doubt about his amazing talent, Rohit took a few years to find his feet at the international level. He made his debut in 2007 and made crucial contributions in India's 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. However, he was in and out of the team after that for the next few years.
In an interview with ESPN-Star in April 2010, Rohit credited former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh for playing a significant role in improving his batting. He had said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):
"When I was dropped, Yuvi paa cited his own example and told me that every cricketer has gone through this phase. He advised me to enjoy this period, as it can be mentally draining. He is the real force behind my batting.
"I don't think anyone apart from Yuvi paa can help me in my batting. He told me that the most important thing as a finisher is to read the situation of the match. He said that you have to think like an opposition captain," the batter had added.
Yuvraj was a key member of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. The former India all-rounder was the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup for scoring 362 runs and claiming 15 wickets. Incidentally, Rohit was dropped for the tournament owing to his poor form.
Rohit Sharma's sensational comeback after 2011 World Cup heartbreak
Rohit has candidly admitted in interviews that being left out of the 2011 ODI World Cup squad remains one of the lowest points of his career. He, however, worked his way up in superb fashion and is now recognized as one of the biggest starts in world cricket, along with Virat Kohli.
The 37-year-old holds the record for the most hundreds in the one-day World Cup. In 28 matches in the ICC event, he has notched up seven centuries apart from six fifties.