Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim believes that Rohit Sharma possesses the intensity and aggression to lead India to a much-awaited T20 World Cup victory ahead of the first T20I series opener against Afghanistan. Following a year-long break, he made a comeback to the T20I squad. The return of the opener was strategically scheduled before the World Cup.
Rahul Dravid emphasised the importance of veteran players like Rohit and Virat Kohli in the squad, expressing confidence that these veterans can provide effective solutions in the T20I format.
In a conversation with JioCinema, Karim pointed out that the Indian skipper demonstrated his eagerness to secure a World Cup win for India during the ODI matches last year and currently appears to be in prime form. The former wicketkeeper believes that Rohit's return is aimed at bringing stability to the team, both as a captain and a batter.
"This is a wonderful phase for Rohit Sharma. The way he led India in the ODI World Cup goes to shows his desire to win the World Cup for India. Rohit is in prime form. His fitness also has helped him grow in confidence. That is the reason why the Indian selectors have again opted for Rohit to lead the side, to bring that kind of stability to the side as a captain and as a batter."
"The way he walked the talk in the recently-concluded one-day matches. It just goes to show he still has the intensity and the aggression to lead India to that much-awaited World Cup triumph," said Karim.
ODI Powerplay approach key in Rohit Sharma's T20I return: Karim
The ex-cricketer believes that Rohit's powerplay strategy showcased in ODIs has been a significant factor in his comeback to T20Is. Karim also anticipates a seamless transition for the Indian skipper from the longest format of the game to white-ball cricket.
"That (Powerplay approach in ODIs) is one of the main reasons that we are seeing Rohit Sharma once again as a player and as a captain in T20Is. The intensity with which he batted in one-day cricket, the aggression that he showed. He paved a path for batting in white-ball cricket. He did and showed it to the rest of the team, lead from the front."
"Rohit has a lot of experience. He has been playing T20 cricket for years. People do find it hard from switching from red-ball to white-ball cricket. But, I think Rohit, with his experience, he will be able to do that very easily," said Karim.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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