IND vs PAK: Virender Sehwag Reveals Who Was Responsible Behind Rohit Sharma's Axing From 2011 World Cup Team

Former batsman Virender Sehwag has said that Rohit Sharma would have been a part of India’s squad for the 2011 World Cup if he were in the selection panel.

Rohit Sharma suffered a heartbreaking snub from India’s squad for the marquee event at home in 2011. While he was playing for India from 2007, he was yet to cement his spot in the ODI team and failed to find a spot in the World Cup squad. For the middle-order, the Indian selectors picked the likes of Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan ahead of the Mumbai star.

Time and again, Rohit Sharma has said that it was very tough for him to accept the snub. Since then, he has played two World Cups and is currently playing his third but is yet to lay his hands on the coveted title.

And as the India captain looks to end his long wait for a World Cup title, Virender Sehwag has explained the potential reason behind his axing from the 2011 squad. He stated that Yusuf Pathan’s timely knocks might be the reason behind Rohit’s failure to make it to the squad.

“If I had been the captain or a selector, I would have surely picked him for the 2011 World Cup. But at that time he was not the Rohit Sharma that he is right now. He was a bit young and at the end of the day, it is the decision of the captain and selectors as to the team balance that they want,” Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

“Maybe that snub motivated him to become more consistent and he realized that he had to score so many runs that he would never miss a World Cup again.

“You can only select 15 players for a World Cup and at that point, Yusuf Pathan had a couple of crucial innings just before the tournament that is, what maybe worked in his favor and Rohit Sharma had to be left out,” he added.

Virender Sehwag praises Rohit Sharma:

Virender Sehwag also heaped praise on the India star for his stunning century against Afghanistan on Wednesday (October 11). He led from the very front, smashing 131 runs from just 84 balls to help India win their second game in the ongoing World Cup. Rohit also smashed the fastest World Cup century by an India, reaching the landmark in just 63 balls.

“Rohit Sharma gave a clear message with his innings that score big hundreds even today he scored 30 more runs after getting to his hundred has already scored three double centuries. So it gives the opposition a clear message that if he settles at the crease for a long time, he will not spare you. He mathematically missed the double century even today,” said Sehwag.