"Sits with the analytics team and coach and prepares" - Ravichandran Ashwin hails Rohit Sharma's tactical prowess as captain
Ravichandran Ashwin hailed Team India skipper Rohit Sharma for his tactical prowess and preparation with coaches and analysts to prepare for important series and tournaments. Rohit recently led India to glory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, with the side going unbeaten throughout the competition.
The 37-year-old boasts a sensational record as Indian captain across formats, winning 93 out of 126 games at a win percentage of 73.80.
In an interview on Vimal Kumar's YouTube Channel, Ashwin said about Rohit:
"If there is any big match or series coming up, Rohit sits with the analytics team and coach and prepares for it, like what's the weakness of a particular batsman, what's the plan of a bowler. That's his strength but he always keeps the environment of the team light and backs the players. If he selects a player in the XI, he backs them 100%. I have played most of my career with these three captains."
He continued:
"2-3 things are nice about Rohit's captaincy. He always keep the environment of the team light. He makes an effort to keep it light. And he stays very balanced and tactically he is strong. Both Dhoni and Virat were also tactically strong but Rohit works more on the tactics."
Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is after the recent T20 World Cup but will continue as India's captain in the other two formats, with Suryakumar Yadav replacing him in the shortest format.
Apart from his stellar international record as captain, Rohit has also led the Mumbai Indians (MI) to all five of their IPL titles.
"There are similarities between Rohit and Gauti bhai’s leadership" - Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin feels skipper Rohit Sharma and new head coach Gautam Gambhir possess similar leadership styles despite varying personalities.
Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as India's head coach after the 2024 T20 World Cup and began his journey in the recent white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
"Gauti bhai is very intense. There are similarities between Rohit and Gauti bhai’s leadership, but Rohit keeps it light. Gauti bhai is an intense person. He (Gambhir) is very passionate about Indian cricket, just like Rahul (Dravid) bhai. Both are very passionate about Indian cricket, but we believe both are different. Yes, they have different personalities," said Ashwin.
Unfortunately for Gambhir, his Team India coaching stint began with a mixed bag, as India suffered a 0-2 loss to the Lankans in the ODIs after winning the T20I series 3-0.
Ashwin will play his first game with Gambhir as coach when India takes on Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series, starting September 19.