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Rohit Sharma has had a wonderful start to 2016. In the recent series against Australia, Rohit was one of the star players in the Indian side, scoring 441 runs in five matches at an average of 110 and a strike-rate of over 100 with two centuries and a fifty. (Rohit Sharma Says Talk of Talent Has Spoiled Things For Him)
In that series, Rohit also went past 5000 runs and also scored 171*, the highest individual score by a batsmen in ODIs in Australia. Speaking to Times of India, Rohit said the current purple patch is due to experience gained by playing in international cricket for close to nine years.
“International cricket taught me what it takes to probably go out there and get a 100 or to build an innings or to win a game. I keep thinking about strategies, analysing situations, and working it out inside my mind, see what is best for the team at that point,” he said.
His good run of form has made him forget the horrors of 2012, where he managed just 168 runs in 14 ODIs at an average of 12.92. Looking back at those times, the dashing right-hander said, “There have been times when I’ve played shots without thinking about the repercussions or situations. I remember, in 2012, when I was struggling with the bat. When I look back today, I wonder why it happened.It was because I wasn’t thinking about my role in the team as much as my role to go out there and score the runs,” he said.
Individuals Like Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Bangar Making a Big Difference
Although India lost the ODI series to Australia 1-4, they achieved a 3-0 cleansweep of Australia in the Twenty20 Internationals. With a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka, India are the World No. 1 ranked team in Twenty20s.
This brand of aggressive and fearless cricket has made India the favorites for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20. Rohit is quick to credit the work of batting coach Sanjay Bangar and team director Ravi Shastri.
“The support staff and individuals like Ravi Shastri have made a lot of difference to this side. A lot of credit goes to Sanjay Bangar as well. He’s been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, spending lot of time with batsmen, creating a positive environment. The age-group in the team is around the same, so all of us can relate with each other,” Rohit added.
Rohit is determined to contribute more for the team and pointed out that his stint as captain of Mumbai Indians’>Mumbai Indians made him a better batsman.
“Mumbai Indians captaincy has helped me to become a better batsman also. It has allowed me to think about the team and how can , I contribute more than just with , the bat. Even now, when Dhoni’s leading, the others keep their minds working. So do I. Is a fielder required here, or if l someone is making a mistake, how we can rectify that?”, he said.
Source: NDTV