(Credit X)
Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has drawn parallels between Rohit Sharma’s leadership and that of the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, who captained India to its historic 1983 Cricket World Cup victory, a pivotal moment in Indian cricket history.
In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma has excelled both as a batsman and a captain. He leads the Indian team with distinction, accumulating 248 runs in seven matches at an impressive average of 41.33 and a striking strike rate of 155.97. As India prepares for the final against South Africa, Rohit aims to maintain his exceptional form.
Rohit’s captaincy has been decisive throughout the tournament. He has made strategic bowling changes that have often resulted in crucial breakthroughs for India. For instance, in the semi-final against England, Rohit’s decision to introduce Axar Patel swiftly led to the dismissal of the dangerous Jos Buttler on the first ball Axar bowled.
During a Star Sports discussion ahead of the India-South Africa final match, Kris Srikkanth praised Rohit Sharma’s leadership and drew comparisons to the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev.
“I don’t like to compare eras and captains, but I just bring you a similarity between the 1983 World Cup and this one. See in this World Cup who’s taking the lead as a leader? As a leader, Rohit Sharma said ‘Man, I’ll take up the lead. I’ll start playing the risky shots. I will take it up,’ and he’s played those fantastic shots and some fantastic knocks. And then everybody has been playing around him and everybody has done well,” Srikkanth said during the discussion.
Srikkanth highlighted that Rohit Sharma’s composed leadership and ability to unify the team are key factors behind his success. He illustrated this with a specific example of Rohit’s exceptional captaincy.
“And the best part is, he can manage his bowlers brilliantly. Like the last match against England, you saw the fourth over he brought in Axar Patel and he got a crucial wicket of Buttler. So what I like about him is his calmness on the field, the calming effect, the same thing that Kapil Dev did and everybody is contributing to the success of the team.”
“It’s just not one person, so that’s what Rohit Sharma has done. He’s got the team together, which is very important as a captain and as a leader,” Srikkanth concluded.
In addition to Rohit Sharma, Srikkanth emphasized the importance of every player making significant contributions for the team to secure victory in the crucial match.
“As a team, you need everybody. Maybe it could be Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, it could be Hardik Pandya, even 10-12 runs from Axar Patel,” the former India opener batter said.
In addition to Rohit Sharma, India will rely on Virat Kohli to make a significant impact. Kohli has struggled in the tournament, managing only 75 runs in seven matches.
India is set to face South Africa in the final on June 29 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
