(AFP Photo)
Former India cricketer S Sreesanth has showered praise on Team India captain Rohit Sharma ahead of their semifinal clash against England in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Drawing parallels with legendary former captain MS Dhoni, Sreesanth believes Rohit Sharma has the potential to emulate Dhoni’s leadership style and guide the team to victory.
Throughout the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma has showcased exceptional leadership skills, earning accolades for his tactical acumen and strategic decisions. Under his captaincy, India has maintained an undefeated record, winning all their matches convincingly. His ability to make crucial bowling changes and set effective field placements has been instrumental in India’s success in the tournament.
Sreesanth highlighted Rohit Sharma’s astute utilization of players like Axar Patel, emphasizing how the captain’s planning and the players’ execution have been pivotal. He specifically mentioned Axar Patel’s remarkable catch of Mitchell Marsh in the match against Australia, noting the meticulous preparation behind such moments.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sreesanth commended Rohit Sharma for his leadership prowess and expressed optimism about India’s prospects in the upcoming semifinal clash against England, scheduled for Thursday, June 27th, at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
“Tactically, if you look at Axar Patel, a lot of people were questioning Axar Patel’s ability in the middle overs. Whenever he’s got an opportunity, he’s come out with those crucial breakthroughs. In fact, even his economy rate is so low that it helps the other bowlers.
“And the catch which Axar took, I think for me, that was the game-changer. Axar even said, ‘I was not expecting the catch, but I just went with both hands and it happened to me.’ That is because preparation is key. Rohit believes in that ability,”
S Sreesanth – I think Rohit has got the same capability where he can surprise his own teammates
S Sreesanth continued his admiration for Rohit Sharma, likening the India captain’s ability to surprise his teammates to that of MS Dhoni. He reminisced about Dhoni’s knack for imparting wisdom on winning matches through street-smart tactics, drawing a parallel to Rohit Sharma’s potential to do the same for the current Indian team.
“We always talk about Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) and how we won the World Cup and his street smartness. I think Rohit has got the same capability where he can surprise his own teammates. He might suddenly call up his teammates and say ‘be ready.’ Rohit believes in his instincts and intuition.
“So, even when the captain does that and surprises his own teammates and tells every bowler to be ready, like Mahi Bhai used to do. He used to tell us, ‘Shree (Sreesanth) be ready, Ajit (Agarkar) be ready, Bhajji (Harbhajan) be ready.’ You can be called at any time because that’s how games are won with street smartness,” he concluded.
