Rohit Sharma is one of the greatest white-ball players of all time. Without a shadow of a doubt, one can make a case for him being the best ODI opener and thereabouts in T20Is as well. No one had doubts he’d do great things for the India cricket team, as at 20, he’d already played and won a T20 World Cup. But it took Rohit another six years to finally find his feet in international cricket.
Rohit Sharma, already a great at 22?
Many doubted the Mumbai batter during this period, but his former Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate, Herschelle Gibbs, had no doubts about the great things that awaited him. In an exclusive chat with InspideSport, the former South African cricketer shared some insights from 15 years.
In the 2009 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rohit ended among the top ten scorers (second for Deccan Chargers after Gibbs) and took 11 wickets as well. Not only that, but he also had a hat-trick to his name. He was a proper all-rounder and played a vital role in Deccan winning their only IPL title. “You could see all the potential he had back then. He won us one or two games, especially when we (Deccan Chargers) won the 2009 IPL in South Africa,” Gibbs narrated.
Rohit Sharma in IPL 2009
| Matches | Runs | Bat Avg | Bat SR | 50s & 100s | Wickets | Bowl Avg | Bowl SR | Bowl Econ | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 362 | 27.84 | 114.92 | 1 & 0 | 11 | 14.63 | 12.54 | 7.00 | 4/6 |
Gibbs always backed Rohit Sharma
Gibbs and Rohit played together for two more seasons. In 2010, they continued for Deccan and then found themselves together at Mumbai Indians in 2012. Rohit wasn’t close to his best during these years, but from what Gibbs had seen, he knew Rohit was destined to do great things.
“He played match-winning knocks; you could see that he was destined for greatness, especially in white-ball cricket. He’s been phenomenal with the white ball; he’s got a couple of double centuries; it’s just been unbelievable going,” Gibbs added.
