Rohit Sharma is never swayed by success. He knows all this adulation and feel-good factor can dry up quickly and he could be knocked off the pedestal once the switch happens.
Perhaps that is why he has remained level-headed right through the World Cup. It’s not easy to lead the team in a showpiece event of this magnitude at home, the beam of the searchlight is constantly following him on and off the field.
“I know how this whole thing works. I’m quite aware of one game here and there... I know suddenly I’ll be a bad captain. I know how it works,” he said on the eve of the Sri Lanka match in Mumbai.
But beyond all this he has been inspirational. He has set the standards in the Powerplay, not bothered by individual records.
He’s the fifth-highest run-scorer for the tournament but has the highest strike-rate (124.15) among the top 10. He has hit a boundary every four balls in this tournament, the others every 6.3.
Ahmedabad: India’s captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour during a practice session ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023’s final match between India and Australia PTI
“Yes, I’m enjoying my batting. But obviously, keeping the situation of the team in mind, it’s not like I just have to go and spin the bat. I have to spin it well, play well and keep the team in a good situation. This is my mindset,” he said on the eve of the semi-final.
Rohit’s momentum-setting 47 at the Wankhede Stadium against New Zealand in the semi-final was an example of the fearless brand of cricket the team management has been professing. But would his adventurous style be possible if he was not the captain?
The defeat in the T20 World Cup last year had been a learning curve. Rohit and Rahul Dravid had put their plans in place to avoid further ignominy. As a first step, the probables had been shortlisted on the first day of this year.
The permutations and combinations with the team continued even if it meant a loss here and there. The idea was to have all bases covered in case a replacement was needed. Still, as Dravid admitted recently, they had none to fill in Hardik Pandya’s boots.
Each player has been assigned a role and the clarity has shown in their performance. Rohit knew he had to be flamboyant and take chances to lay the foundation for the innings. Even the absence of Pandya hasn’t stopped him from his daredevilry.
New Zealand tried the short-pitched stuff against him at the outset but he showed the courage to hook Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Virat Kohli took the responsibility to bat deep into the innings though it meant taking a few extra balls.
Shubman Gill has the freedom to bat in his own style in the Powerplay and then rotate the strike in the middle overs.
Kohli’s presence has given Rohit the confidence to revolutionise batting. The role played by the likes of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer has made things look simpler when other teams have struggled.
Rohit’s skills have left Gill mesmerised. “Everything, everything about him really impresses me... I stand as a learner in the Powerplay. He plays 10 overs; I play 15-20 balls. I rest and Rohit comes and does his thing. He scores 4, he scores 6... and I just watch,” the young opener put it aptly.
Contributing to the team environment has made a world of difference. Dravid too deserves a lot of praise in strengthening team bonding, especially in awarding the best fielder medal after every match. As Rohit revealed before the semi-final, a fashion show was conducted in Dharamsala though he remained tight-lipped on the winner.
While a few chose to drop in at their home during their stay in Mumbai, Rohit decided to spend time with his teammates at the Trident, Nariman Point. Not just the regulars, he has always done his bit to see that the ones who are not in the XI stay in the right spirits.
“We always want the team environment to be relaxed,” Rohit said. “All the boys like this a lot. Because you know when you come to the ground, there will be pressure... pressure of performance, pressure of winning. That can’t be changed... Once you reach the ground, it is up to the individual how they want to take it forward. But before that, we have done everything we can to make the team’s environment easy.”
Rohit is just one game away from completing his “unfinished business”. He is “ready to respond” and “get through that situation”.
