Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly one of the best skippers of the Indian cricket team as it was under his leadership that team India won the T20 World Cup 2024 and ended the 11-yr drought of the ICC trophy.
Rohit Sharma has proved his leadership skills many times, how we can forget to mention that the IPL team Mumbai Indians has won the tournament 5 times under his leadership and not just this, the cricketers who have played under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy frequently commend his leadership abilities.
His ability to keep the dressing room environment positive, along with his smart use of resources on the field, has earned him widespread appreciation. Both young players and coaches speak highly of Rohit—while the youngsters appreciate his constant support, coaches value his exceptional man-management skills, both in the Indian team and the IPL.
Among those praising him is former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla who has played under Rohit’s captaincy for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Highlighting Rohit’s sharp cricketing mind, Piyush Chawla recalled an incident where the Indian batter called him at 2:30 AM to discuss a strategy for dismissing David Warner in an IPL match.
During a podcast, Piyush Chawla stated, “I’ve played so much cricket with him that we’ve reached a comfort level. We sit off the field as well. Once, at 2:30 in the night, he texted me and asked, ‘You up?’ He drew a field on paper and discussed with me about potentially dismissing Warner. Even at that time, he was thinking about how he could get the best out of me.”
Piyush Chawla enjoyed a successful 2023 IPL season, taking 22 wickets in 16 matches, ranking as the fourth highest wicket-taker of the season. Although Mumbai Indians reached the playoffs, they were defeated by Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier. Piyush Chawla also emphasized that Rohit Sharma is more of a ‘leader’ than just a captain, citing his impactful leadership in major tournaments like the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup.
Piyush Chawla stated, “There’s a captain, then there’s a leader. He isn’t a captain but a leader. Whether it was the 2023 ODI World Cup, or the 2024 T20 World Cup, the way he batted, he sets the tone in such a way that he made it easy for the next batters. He’s a true leader. He gives you a free hand.”
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Now Rohit Sharma will be seen in action against Bangladesh as both the nations are scheduled to play 2-match test series starting 19th September.