MI vs LSG: Rohit Sharma taking dig at Virat Kohli? India captain mentions 'personal milestones' as he reveals his leadership philosophy
Published - 15 May 2024, 04:54 PM | Updated - 15 May 2024, 04:55 PM
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Veteran Indian opener Rohit Sharma revealed his motivation when he assumed the role of captain of the Indian national cricket team. Rohit Sharma emphasized that team performances should be prioritized over individual achievements in team sports like cricket.
Rohit Sharma was appointed as India’s full-time skipper of both white-ball formats in December 2021. The opening batter replaced Virat Kohli as Test skipper in 2022. He led Team India to the ICC World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup 2023 final at home.
The 37-year-old batter is still striving to achieve a title victory in ICC tournaments despite achieving significant success as a captain in the Indian Premier League. Rohit is set to lead the Indian team in the upcoming World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA in June.
Just Wanted Everyone To Drive In One Direction - Rohit Sharma
Speaking on the Dubai Eye 103.8 podcast, Rohit Sharma emphasized the importance of teamwork and unity. Sharma highlighted that all 11 players should contribute towards achieving the common goal of winning trophies.
"When I took over as India Captain, I just wanted everyone to drive in one direction that's how team sport should be played, it's not about personal milestones & personal stats & goals, it is about what all 11 of us can bring to the table & win the trophy," Rohit said.
Following India's exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup with a 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-final, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shifted focus to ODIs for the 2023 World Cup in India. They returned for the T20I series against Afghanistan at home in January this year.
In IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma amassed 297 runs in seven games at a stellar average of 49.50 and a strike rate of 164.09. However, his form dipped in the second half of the tournament. The right-handed batter scored 52 runs in the last six innings at a strike rate of less than 100.
India's T20 World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mohammed Siraj.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan
Enjoyed Watching Him Bat - Rohit Sharma
During the same interview, Rohit Sharma disclosed his current favorite batter. The Mumbai batter named England's Zak Crawley over Virat Kohli, Joe Root, and Suryakumar Yadav. Sharma also acknowledged the unique style and success of Steve Smith.
"I watched Zack Crawley this season very closely & enjoyed watching him bat. I enjoyed Steve Smith's batting too, although he is different from the rest of us. I mean he's got his way of dealing with things in the middle, but he's quite successful. But Zak Crawley, I think is quite impressive," Rohit revealed.
