Not Sachin Tendulkar or MS Dhoni! Rohit Sharma 'learned a lot as a young rookie' from these Australian greats

Former Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma recently revealed the names of two former Australian World Cup winners he enjoyed batting with and learned a lot from them. Notably, Rohit Sharma did not include renowned batters like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, or Kieron Pollard in his list.

Rohit Sharma is currently playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The right-handed batter was relieved of the team's captaincy ahead of IPL 2024. All-rounder Hardik Pandya took over leadership duties for the five-time IPL champions.

I Loved Batting With Adam Gilchrist - Rohit Sharma

During a special episode of Breakfast with Champions featuring Gaurav Kapur and Ed Sheeran, Rohit Sharma revealed he loved batting with Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds during his days with the Deccan Chargers. He expressed admiration for Gilchrist, highlighting his learning experience as a young cricketer batting alongside such greats.

“I loved batting with Adam Gilchrist. I loved every bit of it. And, to be honest, Andrew Symonds as well. I got to learn a lot as a young rookie cricketer. At that point, I was 20 years old, and to learn from these greats was superb,” Rohit said.

Rohit Sharma's IPL Journey Began With Deccan Chargers In 2008

Rohit Sharma's IPL journey began with the Deccan Chargers in 2008, where he spent three seasons witnessing contrasting fortunes. The Chargers struggled in the inaugural season but bounced back strongly the following year, clinching the IPL title under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist.

The 36-year-old showcased his batting prowess with the Chargers, scoring 1,170 runs in 45 matches with an impressive average of 30.79 and a decent strike rate over 131. Additionally, he secured the Emerging Player of the Tournament award in 2009 for his outstanding batting performances.

The veteran opener shared a dressing room with Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds during his stint with the Deccan Chargers team. Symonds joined the Mumbai Indians during the IPL auction in 2011, where he played alongside Rohit under 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar's leadership.

Following his release from the Deccan Chargers before the IPL 2011 auctions, Rohit was acquired by MI for Rs 9.2 crore. Since then, he has remained a pivotal part of the franchise, amassing 5197 runs in 203 matches. Midway through the 2013 season, Rohit took over as captain and led MI to five IPL titles during his tenure.

Mumbai Indian To Face Chennai Super Kings On April 14

Rohit Sharma will next be seen in action when the Mumbai Indians take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, April 14. He has scored 156 runs in five matches at an impressive average of 31.20 and an outstanding strike rate of 167.74.