Shikhar Dhawan asks fans to pick between Rohit Sharma of 2019 and 2023 World Cup, X users react
Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan asked fans to choose between Rohit Sharma of the 2019 and the 2023 World Cup edition. The question comes two days ahead of the summit clash between India and Australia, scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Captain Sharma is playing a different role in the ongoing marquee ICC tournament. In 2019, he was the primary run aggregator for Team India but in the 2023 edition, Sharma is captaining the side on the field and playing a very specific role with the bat.
In 2019, Sharma broke the record for hitting the most tons in a single edition of a World Cup (5). The opener was also the leading run-scorer of the 2019 edition, amassing 648 runs in nine matches at an average of 81.
In 2023, Sharma has scored 550 runs in 10 matches at an average of 55, including one century and three fifties. His primary job, however, has been to give the team quick starts and set up the platform for the middle-order batters to comfortably settle in at the crease.
It is a strategy that has worked wonderfully for Team India so far. During the tournament, Sharma also became the sixth Indian player to complete 10,000 runs in the 50-over format.
On Friday (November 17), Dhawan tagged Rohit in a question poll and wrote on X:
“Pick Your Favourite! Rohit Sharma of 2019 or Rohit Sharma of 2023? What do you think?”
“It doesn’t matter who scored how many hundreds” – Rohit Sharma eyeing the 2023 World Cup for Team India
Rohit Sharma believes that individual centuries are not a big deal. He said that winning the World Cup matters the most. In a recent interview, he told Vimal Kumar on YouTube:
“I don't care if I score one or two hundreds or not a single at all, I want to win the World Cup. It doesn't matter who scored how many hundreds, World Cup trophy matter. If you can't win that, it will be a disappointment.”
Rohit Sharma will have a chance to make amends when India play Australia. an opposition against whom he got a six-ball duck while chasing 200 during the league stage of the 2023 edition. India, however, won the match by six wickets, thanks to KL Rahul (97*) and Virat Kohli (85).
Overall, the 36-year-old has a brilliant track record against the Aussies, scoring 2332 runs in 44 ODIs at an average of 58.30, including eight centuries and nine fifties.