Rohit Sharma The Most Valuable Player After Virat Kohli In Limited-Overs Format: Sourav Ganguly 

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly lavished praise on Rohit Sharma for his stunning performances in England.

Rohit had come to the United Kingdom after a forgettable outing in the Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians. For the first time in eleven seasons, he had failed to cross the 300-run mark, as his team finished fifth. But it mattered little, as he hit the ground running. In the first T20I against Ireland, he missed another T20I century by just three runs.

Some average outings followed it before he made amends with a stunning show in the all-important T20I series-decider in Bristol. It was an innings of the highest quality as his unbeaten century made a target of 199 look ridiculously easy.

He continued his red-hot form in the first ODI too, scoring an unbeaten 137 to help India chase down 269 without breaking any sweat. The right-handed batsman opened the innings and remained till the end to take the team home.

“Class batting by Rohit. It was only time that would tell a different tale and Rohit has come out with some amazing innings. The timing of the shots, the sixes and when players like him stick on, they’ll go all the way. The difference between the two sides have been the top order batsmen,” Ganguly told IndiaTV.

The legendary player further said that Rohit is the second-most valuable players in limited-overs cricket after Virat Kohli. He also backed the Mumbai star to make his mark in Test cricket.

“In the limited-overs format, after Virat Kohli, the most valuable player has been Rohit. And I still believe that there’s enough time for Rohit to make a major impact in Test cricket. There’s a saying, ‘One afternoon makes somebody a hero’. One innings is all it takes,” he said.

Ganguly also backed Kohli to do well in the upcoming Test series that will get underway on August 1. Kohli had failed miserably in 2014, scoring just 135 runs in 10 innings. However, Ganguly is confident the India skipper would make amends this time around.

“People keep stating that Virat hasn’t yet conquered England. There’s a huge difference between the him in the four years. He will make a century and leave. If you don’t get Dhawan, Rohit and Virat out early, you’re in deep trouble. They’re the backbone of the team and are absolute powerhouses,” Ganguly said.