The Most Flamboyant
He is one of the most flamboyant of batters the sport has seen. So pleasing to the eye with his exquisite stroke play. The slick cover drives played with effortless ease, the sublime flicks and the belligerent pulls, Rohit Sharma is a Giant in white ball Cricket and in Tests too, he is trying to cover lost ground. But what has struck me most is his rapid evolution as a Leader of great merit, which has added a new dimension to his already chiselled cricketing personality.
Shadows Left Behind
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has emerged from all shadows whatsoever. He has crafted his own style and created his own benchmarks and undoubtedly he is now being referred to as one of the finest captains to have helmed an Indian Team. It is still not about the stats alone, it is just the way Rohit Sharma goes about doing his job in his own distinctive style. However, what has triggered this evolution is interesting to decipher which pushed me to write this post today.
The Captaincy Triggers
India were favourites to win the World Test Championship Final against Australia, having beaten them in a home series earlier. However, the Australians wrote a different script and beat India in a well fought final. Post that game, I have witnessed a predominately different approach from Rohit Sharma more so towards his batting which rubbed on his captaincy too. The trigger for me was this loss and the performance in the Asia Cup, which preceded the World Cup. India played superbly in the Asia Cup, beating Pakistan with ease and winning the Final on a canter. Rohit Sharma played aggressive cricket at the top and ensured India made quick starts, helping the middle order to consolidate. This became a template for the World Cup too.
The Emergence Of A Great Leader
The World Cup was the tournament where Rohit Sharma emerged heads and shoulders above most captains in the fray. He batted exceedingly well upfront. His audacious style pushed the opposition on the back foot straightaway. More than his attacking demeanour on the pitch, Rohit completely set aside personal goals in his pursuit of a good start, which in my view lifted his status in the team. He may not have scored the most runs, but the starts he gave hugely benefitted the Indian cause. He absorbed all the risks so that the rest of the team could play normal cricket. This ensured 10 straight wins for India. It has to be said that Rohit Sharma played selflessly and earned the respect from his team in abundance. He played like a true leader.
The All Pervading Rohit
His exploits on the pitch and the ensuing applause from his team and beyond, lifted Rohit’s captaincy too. He held sway over matters while fielding and made crucial decisions when it really mattered. The boys delivered too. The bowlers in particular gave it everything, pushing themselves beyond their capacities on their captain’s call, such was Rohit’s influence. Though India lost the final, Rohit Sharma truly emerged as an all pervading leader who took the shocks himself and protected his team.
Leadership : Further Consolidated
The recent 4-1 victory in the Test Series over England is another example of Rohit’s maturity as a captain. With some major players missing from the squad, Rohit played with several debutants and made them perform under trying circumstances. He was like an elder brother guiding the young nonchalantly. On the field too, his thinking about the game situation was exceptional and he never let England off the hook when he had them down. The bowlers again performed brilliantly in his support.
A Leader Par Excellence
Rohit still remained grounded. It was like just another day at the office. No over the top celebrations. Even when he reached a century, it was just a lift of the bat and nothing else. He even did not remove his helmet. He kept it simple. Not many around do like this. But this is a new Rohit. A leader par excellence
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