Former Indian legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar believes Rohit Sharma is looking to do a bit more in the recent past and it is leading to his downfall in the shortest format of the game. India has adopted an aggressive approach in the T20I format and Rohit is trying to lead by example.
The Indian captain scored 11 runs off nine balls in the first T20I against Australia and he was seen charging Josh Hazlewood on the second ball he faced in his innings. However, Sunil Gavaskar feels Rohit should go back to his old strategy as he was scoring runs at a healthy strike rate.
“With Rohit Sharma, the range of shot that he has, he doesn’t really have to do what he is looking to do over here, that is step down the pitch even before the bowler has released the ball,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“The way he has been playing T20 cricket before that, his scoring and strike rate has been phenomenal. It’s been absolutely terrific. He hasn’t tried to do anything more. Over here, in the last few matches, it just seems to me that he is looking to do a little bit more and, in the process, getting out,” Gavaskar said.
Rohit has scored 3631 runs at 32.13 in 137 T20I matches and scores at an impressive strike rate of 140.57. He has four centuries and 28 fifties to his name.
Gavaskar added that it is not easy to play with an aggressive approach against the new ball as there is always movement for the fast bowlers.
“The white ball might move as much as the red ball. But there is just that slight movement which can be the difference between the ball hitting the middle of the bat and the ball taking the edge of the bat. So it means it could be hitting the ball into the air rather than into the stands,” he said.
The Little Master added that Rohit should take his time in the initial phase of the innings as he has all the shots under his arsenal.
He continued, “I do believe that Rohit needs to give himself that little more time, he has got all the shots in the book. Even if he gets off to a slow start, he can triple it by the time his innings is over.”
India will take on Australia in the second T20I at Nagpur on Friday.
