Rohit Sharma has had a turbulent six months; he has struggled to score runs and had to remove himself from the starting lineup due to the catastrophic circumstances. The good news is that there is always hope for the future. But for Rohit, it was more than simply light; it was brilliance, luminescence, and brilliance. There aren’t many Indian captains who deserve the Champions Trophy as much.
His immediate prospects were clouded by uncertainty due to considerable speculation about his future and rumours of disagreements with coach Gautam Gambhir. However, Rohit never wavered in his batting technique or style. He persisted in taking on the bowlers with the express purpose of giving the team a strong start and laying a firm foundation.
Legends like Sunil Gavaskar criticised his batting style and approach, yet he was generally successful in the Champions Trophy here in Dubai. Are you content to score 25–30 runs as a batter? Gavaskar, who had scores of 41, 20, 15, and 28 prior to the title match, told the India Today station before the final, “You shouldn’t be.” On Sunday evening, Rohit answered with a game-winning 76. The player of the final was him.
His ferocity in his batting always has a hint of tenacity. He would go over the fielders’ heads in an attempt to take advantage of the field constraints early. He was usually a sure bet for the team with over 11,000 runs, but recently his performance was inconsistent. His detractors should be quieted by Sunday’s endeavour.
His strategy was selfless because it has been difficult to score with the old ball and the spread-out field at Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS), which features slow wickets. He wanted to start off being as proactive as he has been lately.
“I haven’t changed a thing; I’ve been playing the same thing for the last three or four games. I am aware of how crucial it is to get runs during the powerplay because we observed in all five games—not just one or two—that it gets really challenging after ten overs when the field expands and spinners start to come on,” Rohit said of the challenge of scoring runs in this situation. In the five games played here, not a single total has over 300.
“You might not notice how often I make big runs, but I’m extremely clear about what I need to do. Then, I believe it is generally acceptable as long as I am extremely explicit. You observed that I slightly altered my strategy after ten overs today. I wished I could have played longer. However, I went to apply some pressure and then left. But once more, winning a match makes you quite happy, and it feels even better when you helped make it happen.
“We didn’t win the 2019 World Cup, despite my significant contributions. Thus, it wasn’t enjoyable. You feel more content and happy even if you win the game and score 30 or 40 runs. Therefore, I believe it was crucial that I take action, contribute, and put the team in a situation where the other batsmen may feel a little more at ease.”
Rohit’s role is not just about scoring runs. The harder part is getting the most out of the other members of the team. He has guided the team to four global event finals, two of which they have won. There is always a potential that complacency will set in over time, and strange setbacks will occur.
“Losing a few series here and there does not indicate that the squad is dysfunctional or that things are not going as planned. We lost a Test series against New Zealand in India, but it happens and everyone can lose. However, that does occur. We seem destined to win every time we step onto the pitch. However, that will not occur. We are participants in this sport. The opposition is also making every effort to defeat us.
Maintaining the team’s collective hunger is difficult. Rohit, on the other hand, calls his team a “bloody good team.”
There isn’t a lot of work done there. Everyone knows you’re representing your country at the end of the day. Therefore, that is not my role. It is my responsibility to ensure that the player we select performs well for the squad. Even the guys who have played a lot of cricket are hungry, as I mentioned. Therefore, it is not appropriate to teach these ideas.
“No,” he went on, “it’s clearly not me. A lot of credit also belongs to the captains who played before me and led the team before me, you know. The credit goes to all of the coaches who came before Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, and these individuals. India is unquestionably a very strong team.
He is also an extremely talented player, but more importantly, he is an excellent captain who understood that the team needed to win the ICC knockout games in order to be extremely talented, something that had not been the case before. They have won two titles and lost just one game in the last three ICC events. Isn’t it a damned good record?