IND vs NZ 2021: 'He has an uncanny knack of being a very 'people's person'' - Dinesh Karthik on Rohit Sharma

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has backed newly appointed T20I skipper Rohit Sharma to excel in his new role.

Speaking at CricBuzz Live, Karthik described Sharma as someone who is pretty meticulous in his preparation and understands concepts like matchups really well.

Karthik described Sharma as a tactically sound skipper. He also touched upon 35-year-old's ability to strike a balance in his relationship with seniors and youngsters.

Karthik said:

"Meticulous in his preparation off the field. He is a very good student of the game. He does his homework. Understands matchups really well. He is very tactical in his approach. He has got a good rapport with all the young boys which keeps him in good stead. He has an uncanny knack of being a very 'people's person'. Seniors players like him and at the same time younger guys also gravitate towards him."

Underway in Jaipur for the first T20I #INDvNZ https://t.co/x2p0wE3Q5d

One of the great qualities of a successful leader is that they empathize with his teammates when they are going through a tough time. Karthik believes Rohit has that quality in abundance.

He added:

"He will be a very very good captain tactically, somebody who is very calm. He has got a lot of empathy for batters and cricketers because he has seen a lot of failures, he has seen how he came as a tearway youngster. He had a very tough sort of a few years where he lost his place in the side. You can see that when he captains as well, he's got a lot of time for youngsters. Empathy is a very strong word that leaders need to understand and he has that in abundance."

Rohit kickstarted his stint as a full-time T20I skipper against New Zealand in Jaipur on Wednesday (November 17). He won the toss and elected to field first.

'Rohit Sharma is a proven man whether as a captain or as a player' - Ajay Jadeja

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja believes Rohit is a proven performer both as captain and as a batter. He believes one is aware, what to expect of him as a leader.

He added that under the leadership duo of Rohit and coach David, we will see a calmer Indian team.

Jadeja said:

"If it was a 21-year-old, you would have expectations and saying 'where it could go?' Rohit Sharma is at the latter part of his career, and has led Mumbai Indians beautifully. You know his style, you know exactly how he runs the team. Definitely you'll see a calmer team. Nothing new to expect. Rohit Sharma is a proven man whether as a captain or as a player."

Toss Update from Jaipur:

@ImRo45 has won the toss & #TeamIndia have elected bowl against New Zealand in the first T20I.

@Paytm #INDvNZ

Follow the match ▶️ bit.ly/IndvNZ1stT20I https://t.co/Xm3p91BgLG

At the time of writing, New Zealand had moved on to 153/5 in 18.2 overs. Martin Guptill scored 70 runs off 42 balls.