Former Mumbai Indians fielding coach Jonty Rhodes has revealed that Rohit Sharma didn’t practice as hard as Sachin Tendulkar. The former South African batter feels Rohit doesn’t have the best of techniques but his hand-eye coordination is one of the best in the world.
Rohit is known for his lazy elegance, a term with which he doesn’t like being associated. However, many cricket experts reckon that Rohit has got an extra second to react when he is batting against the fast bowlers.
Rohit led Mumbai Indians from 2013 to 2023 and took the franchise to five titles in the IPL. On the other hand, Sachin Tendulkar is regarded as one of the best batters of all time and made the most of his talent on the top stage for more than two decades.
Jonty Rhodes said as quoted by TOI, “I mean he hasn’t changed at all. It’s so ridiculous. I just picture his walk when he came out to bat and he would have a few throw-downs in the nets or even shadow-hitting, it was just majestic.”
“He didn’t practice as hard as Sachin Tendulkar. That’s for sure. Maybe he practices away from the nets at times but just his technical ability and I think he doesn’t have the best technique,” the 55-year-old added.
Rhodes, who took fielding to a new level during his career, added Rohit gets the best out of himself due to his relaxed approach at the crease despite the lack of foot movement.
“He’s being criticized for not having a lot of foot movement, but because he is so relaxed at the crease and those hands flow well. It’s been great to see him because he stayed the same, true to himself and I think that’s so important.”
Meanwhile, Rohit is also known to have fun off the field and he doesn’t shy away from making cheeky comments while playing.
“Even when playing against him or coaching against him, whether he is at IPL, franchise level or international cricket, you see the same. You know, messes around with the teammates, you can hear some of the stuff in the microphone,” Rhodes said.
“He’s really funny and people don’t expect that from Rohit. He’s quite the cheeky guy. He’s a senior guy but he’s behaving like a kid. I think as a captain that takes the pressure away, the mindset you know, the players are not stressed under him,” the South African great concluded.
Rohit will lead in the opening Test match against Bangladesh, which will kick off on September 19 in Chennai.
