"Great reward for a champion cricketer" - Sanjay Manjrekar hails Rohit Sharma's selfless leadership in T20 World Cup 2024 triumph

Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praise on Rohit Sharma's captaincy following India's historic win in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

He highlighted Rohit's calm demeanor and resilience, qualities that were crucial both for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Team India. Manjrekar noted how Rohit's leadership never faltered, even during the defeats.

Reflecting on Rohit's batting approach, the commentator acknowledged a shift where the Indian opener focused on setting up innings rather than explosive starts in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Sanjay Manjrekar hails Rohit Sharma's captaincy and batting at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024

The Hitman showed maturity and strategic acumen while adapting swiftly to varying pitch conditions throughout the tournament in the USA and Caribbean. Notably, Rohit scored 257 runs across 8 innings in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Well, Manjrekar emphasized that Rohit's batting style might not always favor high-scoring pitches, but his soft skills and experience proved invaluable on challenging surfaces in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Taking a dig at the past Indian captains, Manjrekar was in awe of Rohit’s rise as a leader who prioritized team success over personal milestones. He described Rohit as a beloved figure in Indian cricket, admired for his genuine personality and selfless contributions to the team's victory.

The cricket pundit believes that winning the T20 World Cup 2024 was a fitting reward for Rohit's dedication and pure-hearted approach to the game. Notably, the Indian opener called time on his T20I career after winning the second T20 World Cup title for the Men in Blue after 17 years.

Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo: “He's not somebody who's going to put his head down if a team loses the odd game, and that is the reason why the leadership came to him for India as well because of his stellar performance as captain for the Mumbai Indians. His T20 batting, the consistency, and the impact that he was making had toned down a little bit, but we knew after the ODI World Cup that this is a guy now who knows that he can't be getting 140 or 200 and taking the game away from the opposition. So, he went there and just made things easy for the batters to come.”

Rahit Sharma is a champion cricketer with an absolute pure heart: Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar noted that had this T20 World Cup been played on batting-friendly pitches, where 250 or 260 runs were needed on the board, Virat Kohli might have faced challenges, and Rohit might have needed to play longer innings.

However, on tricky pitches, Rohit's soft skills helped him like a few other batters in the T20 World Cup 2024. The commentator has also highlighted Rohit's popularity and enduring personality, portraying him as a genuine leader, not putting on an act.

Manjrekar added, “He was out there in the field, and every time there was a close-up of him, there were genuine reactions that came, sometimes of frustration, sometimes of happiness. His actions were selfless, and that is something Indian cricket has always needed because there is a tendency for certain iconic players to think more about milestones. Rohit Sharma could get two hoots for that, and that he's won in the end is a great reward for a champion cricketer with an absolute pure heart.”