Former Indian wk-batter Dinesh Karthik has hailed Rohit Sharma’s leadership qualities after winning the Champions Trophy recently.
The Indian skipper led from the front with his match-winning innings of 76 (83) and was adjudged the Player of the Match. India sealed their third Champions Trophy title by remaining undefeated after beating New Zealand by four wickets in the finals.
Dinesh opined that Rohit ‘walks the walk and talks the talk’ when it comes to how cricket needs to be played by his team.
“There’s a leader in Rohit Sharma and you can see he has got the respect of his peers. But most importantly, he walks the walk and talks the talk about how cricket needs to be played.”
He also said that Rohit is leaving a legacy like MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev having led India to consecutive ICC title victories.
“Rohit Sharma is one of the greatest, no doubt. He’s leaving a serious legacy. Each of them (MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev) marked a generational change and a mindset shift,” said Dinesh Karthik.
The RCB batting coach spoke about the 37 year old clearing the air over his retirement speculations and said that India skipper sent a clear message.
“It pretty much sums up Rohit Sharma as a person. Very humorous about it but at the same time sending the message across: ‘Don’t be in a hurry to ask for my retirement. I’ll do it when I feel like it,” he added.
The Indian captain has become the fourth captain in the history of ICC events to have won a Player of the Match in the final of the tournament. It is anticipated that Rohit Sharma will likely to retire after 2027 ODI World Cup.
By the time of World Cup, the Indian captain will be 40. According to the report, Rohit will ‘collaborate’ with Abhishek Nayar, the current assistant coach of the Indian Cricket Team, aiming on batting, approach and fitness.
Rohit will be returning to Mumbai Indians for upcoming IPL 2025 season where their first match will be played against Chennai Super Kings on March 23 at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
