Before their clash against Canada in the T20 World Cup 2024, several Indian stars showered their captain, Rohit Sharma, with praise. However, the match between India and Canada was abandoned due to wet outfield on June 15. Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, and Kuldeep Yadav all spoke fondly of Sharma's leadership style, particularly his tendency to include younger players. These remarks come as no surprise. Rohit Sharma is a legendary figure in Indian cricket. Over the past decade, he's established himself as a pillar of the team, earning immense admiration and respect for his contributions.
As a batsman, Sharma's achievements are undeniable. He's consistently delivered exceptional performances, solidifying his position as arguably the world's best opening batsman across all formats. Alongside Virat Kohli, he's spearheaded a dominant Indian batting lineup.
Rohit Sharma's leadership has marked a distinct shift for the Indian cricket team. Beyond his own stellar performances, he's become known for fostering a strong team spirit and his nurturing approach towards young players. This was echoed by Rishabh Pant in a recent interview with the International Cricket Council (ICC) ahead of India's match against Canada. Pant expressed his admiration for Sharma, highlighting the captain's unwavering commitment to learning and development, even after achieving so much on the field.
"You know in cricket You always level up in a different way and you gotta keep learning. And I think that is something I really admire. He has played a lot of cricket but at the same time he still wants to improve himself each and every day."
Suryakumar Yadav chimed in as well, sharing his own perspective on playing under Rohit Sharma's leadership. He praised Sharma's deep understanding of his individual game, highlighting how the captain's ability to "go back to basics" when needed is a source of inspiration for him.
"He understands his game really well. I've seen a lot of times when he's stuck he always goes back to basics. That's one thing which I really like about him."
Sanju Samson added his voice to the chorus of praise, revealing valuable lessons learned from Rohit Sharma's leadership. He emphasized how Sharma empowers young players to stay true to themselves, using the captain's own composure under media scrutiny as an example. Samson pointed out how Sharma remains unfazed by the constant presence of cameras and microphones, a quality young players can learn from.
"What we all youngsters learn from him is how to be your own self actually. He doesn't care about how many cameras are watching him or how many stump mics are listening to him. Actually he is absolutely himself."
Kuldeep Yadav offered a slightly different perspective on Rohit Sharma's leadership. He noted that the captain keeps his players, including himself, on their toes, which presumably fosters a competitive and focused environment within the team.
Rohit Sharma is currently leading the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. With him as captain, the team has secured three consecutive victories and is set to face Canada next on June 15.
"And obviously he is someone who likes all the youngsters that really keep him on toes all the time."
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