Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra feels Rohit Sharma’s good nature is one of the reasons behind his T20I legacy. Chopra lauded Rohit for playing an instrumental role with the bat to take India to glory in the T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma scored 257 runs in eight matches of the T20 World Cup 2024 at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.71. Furthermore, Rohit Sharma finished his T20I career as the leading run-getter in the format, with 4231 runs in 159 matches.
The Indian skipper was able to lead from the front throughout the T20I showpiece and deserves a lot of credit as he gave some solid starts at the top of the order.
“He has five IPL trophies. He won a Champions League and has bid goodbye to T20I cricket with a T20 World Cup win. He has left a captaincy legacy. It will be remembered because only three Indians have lifted the World Cup trophy – Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni with two trophies, and one for Rohit Sharma. It will be remembered for centuries that Rohit Sharma was the captain who won the 2024 T20 World Cup,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra lauded Rohit Sharma for creating the right atmosphere within the team as a leader.
“Why is his captaincy so good? It’s because he creates an atmosphere like that. Whoever you speak to says Rohit bhaiya is a very good captain. I have not come across a single person who says Rohit is not a good guy. I cannot say that for everyone but can say that for Rohit. Everybody who I have spoken to praises him. He is 24-carat pure gold,” the former India opener added.
The renowned commentator hailed Sharma’s six-hitting prowess. Rohit smashed a total of 205 maximums in his T20I career, which is the most for any batter.
“When he started playing, it seemed like he was made for this format only because stroke-making is second nature for him. He is not a player you had to mold slightly. He came after playing a lot of cricket on cemented pitches in Borivali lanes. He is a street-smart fighter who knew he had to hit sixes,” he said.
“No one hits sixes better than him, I will be very honest. He hits effortless sixes. He hits while staying in his position and jumping down the track. He hits fast bowlers and spinners. You are not going to forget for a long time the sixes he hit over cover against Mitchell Starc and that too in a World Cup match. He is a different-level player,” Chopra elaborated.
Chopra added that Rohit took the game away from the opposition whenever he played a substantial knock in T20Is.
“Whether he bats first or second, the day he scores runs, the matches are generally one-sided. Whenever Rohit scores, he takes the team’s score way beyond par. So, ultimately, it becomes a one-sided match. He does get out early as well, so you see a little inconsistency, but the day Rohit plays, no player comes close to him,” he observed.
India will next take on Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series.
