Lead by example! Rohit Sharma has done just that. India Cricket Team captain has not looked to bump his stats when he could, playing attacking, aggressive and often times take the opponents down-type cricket. In the IND vs NZ Cricket World Cup semifinal, he had a chance to probably enthrall his home crowd with a century. But as he went hammer and tongs, he perished for 29-ball 47. However, fans and former cricket stars applauded his efforts even though he missed out on a well-deserved half-century on Wednesday.
Rohit Sharma’s 29-ball 47 had four sixes that not only delighted fans but also put New Zealand on the backfoot. There were signature pull shots, aggressive lofted drives and superb timings in the 29-ball stay. In Cricket World Cup, he has surpassed Chris Gayle to hit 50 sixes.
Experts delighted
Former India batter Vijay Dahiya said Cricket World Cup 2023 would be remembered for Rohit Sharma’s selfless approach. And there is a reason. Rohit has scored at 124.15, highest among openers. He has also hit 28 sixes to exploit the powerplay.
In the IND vs NZ semifinal, Rohit Sharma added 71 runs in 8.2 overs with Shubman Gill. And Rohit did the bulk of scoring.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh had a different take. He said it’s Rohit Sharma’s captaincy that has helped him make a big impact. Rohit had earlier called for a change in approach, playing aggressively.
“Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has made the biggest impact. It is said that if you want to change something then you should show leadership in that area. He has shown that in his batting and his intent which is the reason India has moved forward. If you look at Rohit Sharma’s performance in this tournament then the biggest thing that he has done is that he has changed his intent. He has hit 80 in 40 balls alone, 90 off 50 balls, 50 off 25 balls, which gives the upcoming batters a lot of time,” Harbhajan Singh said on Star Sports show.
Even though Virat Kohli has scored over 600 runs in Cricket World Cup 2023, Irfan Pathan has called Rohit Sharma the best batsman of the Indian Cricket Team.
“Rohit Sharma’s style of playing has been very different, especially in this World Cup. Scoring runs with a flick of the bat on the leg side in Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first over, putting pressure on the bowler, playing in the air – Rohit Sharma has been doing this consistently. And then he is also hitting long balls towards the front and playing aggressively. That’s why the left-arm bowlers haven’t been able to create their usual pressure in this World Cup,” Irfan Pathan said.
The best thing to happen is even though Rohit Sharma has perished going for big shots, he has not been deterred from playing those. Rohit has been a man on a mission to take down the opposition bowling. And he has done that to perfection.
“It’s true that he was bowled out by Dilshan Madhushanaka, but, his current style of playing has sidelined the possibility of an LBW. Left-arm bowlers are thinking twice before bowling long balls because his style is so powerful and so unique. If you ask me, the best batsman of the Indian team in this World Cup is Rohit Sharma,” Irfan Pathan added.
Rohit Sharma dazzles fans
While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have always divided fanbases, his approach has delighted and united all. And his efforts in IND vs NZ Cricket World Cup semifinals did not go unnoticed. Check some of the fan reactions.
~Tune in to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, streaming for free on mobile on Disney+ Hotstar, and broadcast LIVE on the Star Sports Network
