Rohit Sharma emulated legendary cricketer MS Dhoni at the grandest stage by ending India’s long-standing trophy drought in ICC events last month. India’s outgoing T20I skipper became the second captain to win a T20 World Cup title for the Men In Blue. Reserving special praise for captain Rohit, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said that Team India is blessed to have a leader like the veteran opener.
Leading the Virat Kohli-starrer side from the front, Rohit masterminded India’s first T20 World Cup triumph in 17 years. Rohit joined former skippers Dhoni and Kapil Dev on the exclusive list of World Cup-winning captains for the Asian giants. Rohit and Co. outclassed Aiden Markram’s South Africa in the final-over thriller to lift the famous trophy at Kensington Oval in Barbados. Under Rohit’s leadership, India also became the first team to win a men’s T20 World Cup without losing a single match.
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“Rohit Sharma joins those other two cricketing giants, Kapil Dev and Dhoni in captaining India to a World Cup trophy. Like the duo were, Rohit is also a people’s captain. Well liked, not only by his team members, but by the entire Indian cricketing community. The cricket fans also love his laconic style of leadership and tactically, he is as good as the sharpest in the game. Some of his moves can surprise you and make you scratch your head as to the reason, but the end result is more often than not exactly what the team needed at that moment,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.
Giving India promising starts in the ICC event, Rohit played a stellar knock against Australia in the rematch of the 2023 World Cup final in the Caribbean. India also avenged its 2022 T20 World Cup defeat with a win over England in the semi-finals. India skipper Rohit announced his T20I retirement after propelling the Asian Giants to their second T20 World Cup crown. With joint-most 50s (3) in the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit finished the ICC tournament as India’s leading run-getter. The Hitman accumulated 257 runs in 8 games at the T20 World Cup.
The 37-year-old is the first player to win the T20 World Cup as a player (2007) and captain (2024). Rohit will continue to lead India in the traditional formats of the game. The veteran opener was also confirmed as India’s captain for the ICC Champions Trophy. “He led from the front, showing a complete disregard for personal milestones and instead looked to get the team off to a flying start every time. India are blessed to have him as their captain,” Gavaskar added.
