"Whenever he sees green pitch, woh aur zyada biryani khake aata hain" - When Rohit Sharma termed Mohammad Shami the most difficult bowler to face in the nets
Team India captain Rohit Sharma is a wonderfully jovial character who loves having a laugh both on and off the cricket field. Even during the pandemic, when the entire world was stuck indoors, he tried to remain positive.
With no cricket being played due to COVID-19, the ‘Hitman’ made an appearance on Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues’ YouTube chat show "Double Trouble". During the interaction, he made some interesting revelations about his teammates.
On the show, Rohit was also asked which bowler he finds the toughest to face in the nets. The star batter picked seasoned pacer Mohammad Shami. Explaining the reason behind his choice, he said:
“The pitches we have for net sessions are almost always green with moisture. Whenever he (Shami) sees green pitch, woh aur zyada biryani khake aata hain.”
Rohit also revealed that there is strong competition between Shami and fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the nets. He elaborated:
“Bumrah is also difficult (to face). Shami, I have been playing since 2013. But yeah, right now there is like a competition going on between Bumrah and Shami, on who beats the bat most, who can hit the most on the helmets.”
Shami’s pace-bowling partner Ishant Sharma had also opened up on the cricketer being a foodie. During his appearance on "Breakfast with Champions", Ishant stated:
“Feed him biryani, mutton, nalli nihari, make him bowl, and then he falls asleep. That's it. He'd say, "What is all this food? Have red meat." "You'll recover with that." I said I'm a vegetarian. He'd say "That's why you have slowed down." I said, "Shami, go now."
While Ishant has claimed 311 wickets from 105 Tests, Shami has grabbed 216 scalps in 60 Tests.
Rohit Sharma set to led India in Asia Cup 2022
Meanwhile, Rohit, who has been rested for the ODI series in Zimbabwe, will return to lead the team for the Asia Cup, which will begin in the UAE later in the month. He has impressed with his captaincy ever since taking over as full-time leader.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Follow the Blues recently, the Indian skipper picked some of the key moments of his career. He said:
“Since I made my debut, I had to do well in domestic cricket to get recognized by the national selectors. So I guess doing well there in the under-19 tournament was the first turning point giving me a break in international cricket.”
He added that opening the innings during the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy was also a defining moment in his career. The right-handed batter stated:
“Another break was in 2013 when I started opening the batting for India. That was another turning point.. In the same year, I became captain of Mumbai Indians. To me, that was the game changer. I feel that strongly because captaincy has brought a lot of change in my attitude towards the game and handling myself.”
Rohit added a new feather to his cap during the tour of England when he became the first captain in international cricket to win 14 consecutive T20Is.