"I have not come across a single person who says Rohit is not a good guy" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma's T20I legacy
Aakash Chopra has noted that Rohit Sharma's lovable nature is one of his legacies as India's T20I skipper. He also lauded the opener for his match-winning abilities with the bat.
The Men in Blue, under Rohit's leadership, lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy after beating South Africa by seven runs in the final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. The 37-year-old announced his retirement from T20I cricket after the title win.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Rohit will be remembered as an immensely successful and good-natured skipper.
"He has five IPL trophies. He won a Champions League and has bid goodbye to T20I cricket with a T20 World Cup win. He has left a captaincy legacy. It will be remembered because only three Indians have lifted the World Cup trophy - Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni with two trophies, and one for Rohit Sharma. It will be remembered for centuries that Rohit Sharma was the captain who won the 2024 T20 World Cup," he said (3:15).
"Why is his captaincy so good? It's because he creates an atmosphere like that. Whoever you speak to says Rohit bhaiya is a very good captain. I have not come across a single person who says Rohit is not a good guy. I cannot say that for everyone but can say that for Rohit. Everybody who I have spoken to praises him. He is 24-carat pure gold," the former India opener added.
India won 50 of 62 T20Is, including a Super Over win against Afghanistan, under Rohit's captaincy. It's the most wins for any skipper in T20Is, with the Men in Blue also becoming the first team to win a T20 World Cup unbeaten.
"He is a street-smart fighter who knew he had to hit sixes" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma's batting
Reflecting on Rohit Sharma as a T20I batter, Aakash Chopra noted that the Mumbaikar's game was ideally suited to the format.
"When he started playing, it seemed like he was made for this format only because stroke-making is second nature for him. He is not a player you had to mold slightly. He came after playing a lot of cricket on cemented pitches in Borivali lanes. He is a street-smart fighter who knew he had to hit sixes," he said (1:40).
The cricketer-turned-commentator particularly appreciated Rohit's ability to hit effortless sixes.
"No one hits sixes better than him, I will be very honest. He hits effortless sixes. He hits while staying in his position and jumping down the track. He hits fast bowlers and spinners. You are not going to forget for a long time the sixes he hit over cover against Mitchell Starc and that too in a World Cup match. He is a different-level player," Chopra elaborated.
Chopra added that Hitman, as he is fondly known, made games one-sided virtually every time he played a substantial knock.
"Whether he bats first or second, the day he scores runs, the matches are generally one-sided. Whenever Rohit scores, he takes the team's score way beyond par. So, ultimately, it becomes a one-sided match. He does get out early as well, so you see a little inconsistency, but the day Rohit plays, no player comes close to him," he observed.
Rohit smashed 4231 runs at a strike rate of 140.89 in 151 T20I innings. India lost only four of the 37 games in which he reached the 50-run mark.