IND vs SL: Different Voice Is Sometimes Good For The Team - Russell Arnold Welcomes Rohit Sharma's Cool Captaincy

Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Russell Arnold heaped praise on India’s captain, Rohit Sharma after India defeated Sri Lanka by 62 runs in the first of the 3-match T20I series on Thursday.

Rohit and co. batted first and put on a healthy total of 199/2 on the board, courtesy of twin fifties from Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. In response, the Lankans were never in the run chase and they wobbled their way to 137/6 in their 20 overs.

“Different voice is sometimes good for a team, that’s what India needed. I thought in that T20 World Cup, the pressure of expectations seemed to wear them down. Now that it’s over, all of them are able to express themselves.”

“The captain himself, he generally leads from the front. We never felt he was scoring but was scoring with a strike rate of 140-150, which is exceptional,” Arnold said in a conversation with Star Sports.

“He really doesn’t have to say much” – Russell Arnold

Rohit’s record as a captain is quite enviable. Although he hasn’t captained the Indian team in a major tournament yet, his experience of having led Mumbai Indians to four titles will come in handy. Arnold felt the same, stating that Rohit doesn’t have to marshall his troops as much as they will follow his lead.

“If someone can look so good and look so cool, he really doesn’t have to say much. Everyone will follow him. The depth is there in the Indian line-up and that will make Rohit’s life a lot easier,” Arnold added.

After the first T20I, the teams now move to the northern regions where they will play the final two T20Is on Saturday and Sunday in Dharamshala.

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