"That natural ability to hit the big shots is still there" - Sanjay Manjrekar lauds Rohit Sharma
Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar observed that Rohit Sharma hasn't lost his ability to strike big in white-ball cricket. Manjrekar also reckons that Rohit's defending game looked starkly improved during the innings against Pakistan on Sunday.
After getting dismissed cheaply in the first-round clash against Pakistan, the right-hander was on point against them in the Super 4 contest in Colombo. He made a 49-ball 56, laced with six fours and four sixes, before Shadab Khan dismissed him.
Speaking to Star Sports, Manjrekar said that the Indian captain must start converting his fifties into centuries and suggested that he's regaining the form he showed ta the 2019 World Cup.
"He got 5 hundreds in the last World Cup, right? My assessment of Rohit Sharma is that his defence has actually gotten much better. He is a much better Test player now than he was in 2019. So I have no issues.
"It's about converting those starts into big hundreds because that involves running a lot of ones and twos later on in the innings. But, on the pure quality of defence, Rohit is better today. That natural ability to hit the big shots is still there."
The right-hander was the highest run-getter in the 2019 World Cup with 648 runs in nine innings at an average of 81. He also scored a record five tons in the tournament, doing so against England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and Pakistan.
Sanjay Manjrekar wants India to give opportunities to Suryakumar Yadav
With Suryakumar Yadav selected in the 2023 World Cup squad, Manjrekar reckons the 32-year-old deserves a look before the tournament:
"KL Rahul coming in at that position is good for Indian cricket because they wanted to test his match fitness out.
"If India is looking to test the waters before the World Cup, then you must give Suryakumar a game. His One-Day credentials are still in doubt and we don’t know if he would make the same kind of impact."
India finished with 147-2 in 24.1 overs against Pakistan before the day was washed out; the game will continue on the reserve day on Monday.