IND vs PAK: 'Not many can do that...' - Abhishek Nayar claims MS Dhoni ignoring Rohit Sharma for CWC 2011 changed him completely

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Abhishek Nayar heaped massive praise on India skipper Rohit Sharma ahead of the game against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. He said that the opening batter put in a lot of hard work after he missed out on the team for the 2011 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma no doubt is amongst the biggest names in Indian cricket. But a lot of effort has been put into it by the India captain and that is why he is the mighty Rohit Sharma, for whom fans are crazy.

Rohit Sharma’s turnaround has been nothing short of exceptional. From being called as “Maggi man” to the “Hitman” of world cricket, the India captain has made himself a huge name with what he has done for the Indian cricket team over the years.

Rohit Sharma started his career as a middle-order batter. Many touted him as one of the finest talents in world cricket. But he failed to live up to the expectations as he used to throw away his wickets and also received a lot of criticism for his poor performances for the team.

He was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007 but after that, his inconsistency was one of the biggest problems in his career and this led to his omission from the squad for the ICC World Cup 2011, which India won.

But after that, Rohit Sharma changed himself completely and came up with a better version of him. After playing as a middle-order batter for a few years, he was promoted to open in 2013 during the Champions Trophy, which changed his career.

Rohit Sharma made the opening position his own and it’s fair to say he is one of the best opening batters that the game of cricket has seen. The batter since then has been the backbone of the team and has played a huge part in making the Indian team a dominant force.

Not only by his batting, Rohit Sharma is even captaining the Indian team and is doing a terrific job. He already has become the team’s most successful skipper in the T20I format and would be keen to take his team to title win in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

A lot of people talk about Rohit Sharma's talent and that he is a gifted player but with the hard work he put in not many people can do that - Abhishek Nayar

Abhishek Nayar, who is one of the close friends of Rohit Sharma, claimed that the amount of hard work India's captain put in after 2011 is something not many can do. He revealed that the Indian skipper at that time told him that he would come back with a better version. Speaking to TRS, he explained:

"A lot of people talking about Rohit Sharma's talent and that he is a gifted player but the hard work he put in not many people can do that - after the 2011 WC selection, he told me 'I have to work so hard that people will say this is the new Rohit Sharma.”

Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India have started the T20 World Cup 2024 on a high. They beat Ireland in the first match and now will take on Pakistan on 9th June.