Australia’s cricketing legend Ricky Ponting has showered accolades on Rohit Sharma’s leadership skills, stating that he is the perfect captain to guide India in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Team India has set the World Cup stage on fire with three consecutive wins in as many games. Their victories include a six-wicket triumph over Australia, an eight-wicket thrashing of Afghanistan, and a seven-wicket win against Pakistan.
What sets this World Cup campaign apart is Rohit Sharma’s exemplary leadership. While his contribution with the bat is well known, he has proven to be an astute captain who leads from the front.
In the tournament opener against Australia, Rohit Sharma experienced a duck, but he quickly rebounded with a record-breaking 63-ball century against Afghanistan. His remarkable performance continued as he scored 131 runs, guiding India to successfully chase down 273 in just 35 overs. Against Pakistan, he showcased his brilliance again by amassing 86 runs in just 63 balls, leading the team to victory in less than 31 overs.
Ricky Ponting, a three-time World Cup winner, made an interesting comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He highlighted the differences in their personalities and how they handle pressure.
Regarding Rohit Sharma, Ponting stated, “He’s very laid back, Rohit. Very laid back with everything he does. You can even see that by the way that he plays. He’s a pretty laconic sort of batsman as well, and that’s the way he is both on and off the field.”
“We can’t sit back and say that the pressure won’t get to them at some stage, or it won’t affect them, because it will, just with the enormity of the tournament. But he’ll take it and cope with it as well as probably anyone,” he added.
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Ponting acknowledged the magnitude of the tournament but expressed confidence in Rohit’s ability to cope with the pressure.
As for Virat Kohli, who is known for his passionate and expressive demeanour, Ponting noted, “Someone like Virat, who is a bit more heart-on-the-sleeve, and probably listens to the fans and plays up with the fans a little bit more, someone with his personality would probably find it a bit harder.”
“But I think Rohit will be fine with it. He’s a terrific bloke and has been a great player for a long time, and he’s done a great job as leader of India,” he added.
As Team India’s campaign in the World Cup continues, they are set to face Bangladesh in their next fixture, which promises to be yet another thrilling encounter.
