"That's when he decided this is not the way to play" - Dinesh Karthik on 'turning point' in Rohit Sharma's captaincy amidst T20 World Cup
Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was a part of the Indian squad led by Rohit Sharma that lost the T20 World Cup semifinal against England in Adelaide by 10 wickets a couple of years ago. Karthik claimed that the manner of the defeat changed the mindset of the Indian captain completely.
'DK' revealed how Rohit wanted the Men in Blue to play an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket and the captain himself led from the front in the 2023 World Cup. He scored 597 runs in the tournament and led the Men in Blue all the way to the final where they lost to Australia.
Speaking in a video posted by the ICC on Instagram, here's what Dinesh Karthik had to say:
"That was the turning point I feel in Rohit Sharma's captaincy. That game against England, he felt we scored below par and that's when he decided this is not the way to play. We need to play a lot more aggressively. From then on, there's been a very conscious effort to bat differently."
Rohit Sharma has been pretty vocal while speaking to the host broadcasters of the T20 World Cup about wanting the batters to not think about the milestones and that has worked well for the Men in Blue so far in the tournament.
Dinesh Karthik on biggest challenge for Rohit Sharma and co.
Dinesh Karthik hailed Rohit Sharma and his men for their ultra-aggressive brand of batting on display especially in the West Indies leg of the T20 World Cup. India scored 181/7 against Afghanistan, 196/5 against Bangladesh, and 205/5 against Australia, showing their ability to post big totals consistently while batting first.
However, Karthik feels the challenge for the Men in Blue would be to stay true to their approach in the knockout game against England. He stated:
"What has been so impressive so far in the last two World Cups, the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup that's happening, is the intent with the bat, especially if they are batting first. That has been India's biggest change. Now can they follow it in a semifinal when the game is on the line, when they know that one mistake here would mean taking the flight back home. That is the biggest challenge."
Rohit Sharma is in fine form in the tournament so far with 191 runs at a strike rate of almost 160. However, he had scored 27 runs off 28 balls in that ill-fated semifinal a couple of years ago and has a chance to redeem himself against the same opposition on Thursday.