"You are going to dominate world cricket" - Gautam Gambhir recalls old conversation with Rohit Sharma
Former Team India opener Gautam Gambhir stated that he was always confident of Rohit Sharma reaching great heights in his career, despite a dismal start to his international career.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Gambhir recalled how Rohit had a poor series with the bat in Sri Lanka during his early years. He mentioned that the two had a conversation after that, where Gambhir told the current India captain that he would dominate world cricket one day.
Sharing details of the conversation, Gambhir said:
"I remember when Rohit Sharma initially came into international cricket, there was a series in Sri Lanka where he hadn't scored any runs in five matches and there was a lot of criticism. I told only one thing to Rohit, 'As much knowledge as I have of cricket, and from the cricket that I've seen, you are going to dominate world cricket.'. Good that he has been able to dominate world cricket. This was I think around 2008 or 2009."
Gambhir opined that Rohit deserves appreciation for turning things around following a dismal start.
"He had that talent even then. But turning that talent into reality and performance is completely different. So, you've got to give it to the man. He didn't have a very easy start in international cricket, he had a difficult start," the 42-year-old added.
The former cricketer reckoned that the challenges that Rohit faced early in his career helped him become a good leader. He suggested that the Men in Blue skipper backs youngsters because he knows how tough it is to have a great start in international cricket.
"That's one good thing because when you lead a country, and that too of the size of India, and you don't have a good start, then you start putting yourself in other players' shoes as well. If his start was very easy, he would have always felt that international cricket is very easy. Today, if any young player is struggling, Rohit Sharma will feel that if it was tough for him, it will be difficult for him as well. That's why he probably leads that well and keeps it very balanced," Gambhir elaborated.
Rohit Sharma is currently Mumbai Indians' (MI) second-highest run-getter in the ongoing IPL 2024, chalking up 311 runs across nine innings, including an unbeaten 105-run knock against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
"It was difficult to control him" - Gautam Gambhir on playing against Rohit Sharma
Gautam Gambhir also opened up on how challenging it was for him to plan for Rohit Sharma when he was the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
He pointed out how Rohit had a fantastic record against KKR. Explaining why he found it tough to plan for the swashbuckling batter, Gambhir said:
"Because he had a quality, as simple as it can get. You have your own assessment of the players. Maybe some other captains may find some other players difficult. So, I had my own assessments for every player, and for me, it was difficult to control him, and his records were also like that against us; be it at Eden Gardens or somewhere else, the way he used to dominate. But it was fun. Because when you control, or execute that plan correctly, and the results come in your favor, it's a lot of good feeling also."
Gambhir further stated that he has many fond memories with Rohit. He noted how the right-handed batter contributed significantly towards India's success at the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa, scoring 30* off 16 in the final against Pakistan.
"People talk about my knock and Irfan's spell, but Rohit Sharma's contribution towards the back end, his run out against South Africa, are all the memories I have of him. I've enjoyed playing with him and interacting with him." Gambhir added
Rohit Sharma will be seen in action on Tuesday, April 30, when MI take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.