Rohit gets a chance to replicate IPL success in T20Is

Dubai - Just like his effortless batting style, Rohit the captain quietly lets his players to blossom

Rohit Sharma is now widely expected to don the captain’s mantle in the T20s after Virat Kohli announced his decision on Thursday to step down as skipper in the shortest format of the game.

The World Cup in UAE will be Kohli’s last chance to lay his hands on an ICC trophy as captain in the T20 format.

Regardless of the results in UAE, the 32-year-old Delhi player has decided to relinquish the leadership responsibility to focus on his batting and captaincy in one-day and Test cricket, paving the way for Rohit to take charge in T20s.

At 34, Rohit is at the peak of his prowess, even silencing the doubters with a nuanced batting display against the world-class English swing bowlers in the recent Test series.

Rohit has already proved his credentials as T20 captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL), guiding the Mumbai Indians to five titles in the world’s toughest T20 league.

So what makes Rohit such a good captain?

His ability to remain calm in pressure situations certainly reminds fans of a certain MS Dhoni.

As captain, Rohit’s world is also more similar to Joe Root and Kane Williamson’s than Kohli’s. He rarely shows his emotions on the field.

Just like his effortless batting style, Rohit the captain quietly lets his players to blossom.

Rohit also backs his bowlers to the hilt and his reputation as a bowler’s captain was further enhanced before the Covid menace brought the IPL to a screeching halt in May.

Despite their slow start to the campaign in 2021, Mumbai eventually found their mojo back.

Rohit’s calm head allowed rookie bowlers like Rahul Chahar, a talented leg-spinner, to script astonishing come-from-behind wins.

Rohit never allows his bowlers to bowl a defensive line even when the opposition gets off to a flying start.

Rohit’s attacking instincts are not restricted to playing those majestic pulls and lofted shots against the world’s best bowlers. Rohit keeps backing his own bowlers to attack even when they have small totals to defend.

Now it remains to be seen if Rohit can replicate his IPL success on the international stage. Rohit did rise to challenge in 2018 when he guided India to the Asia Cup triumph in Kohli’s absence.

Now his biggest challenge will be to lead a team featuring a former captain in Kohli.

Can he rise to the new challenge?

The late-blooming of him as a Test opener has proved that Rohit will never shy away from a challenge.