Rohit Sharma had just been appointed captain and we were speaking on his philosophy of leadership in December 2021. “The captain should be the last one in the team in terms of priority,” he told me. A slight pause, and he continued. “Not in terms of performance. In terms of performance, the captain has to lead from the front. But in everything else, he should be the last person in the team.”
While not going overboard about the knock against Afghanistan on a belter of a batting track, one thing is for certain. Rohit the captain is determined to lead from the front in pursuit of the silverware that has continued to elude India for ten years. Soon after he was bowled by Rashid Khan after a match-winning 131, Virat Kohli patted him on the back as he was walking back to the pavilion. It was a tap of respect, and of satisfaction for a job well done. Two of India’s best, in fact the world’s, know what they are after. And perhaps this is their best opportunity.
While we celebrate Rohit breaking the record for most World Cup hundreds – seven for him now, as opposed to Sachin Tendulkar’s six – I am also reminded of what he had said sometime after the heart-breaking semi-final loss to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup.
It was the first time I was seeing Rohit since that fateful day in Manchester in July 2019, and it was expected that the conversation would turn to the World Cup at some point. “The five hundreds really don’t mean much anymore,” Rohit said in a very matter-of-fact manner. “Personally, it was a great achievement, but when you are playing a team sport, it is never about personal milestones. When I reached home after the World Cup and everyone was congratulating me for the hundreds, I can very honestly tell you I did not feel any elation. The real prize was in the England dressing room, and it was difficult to accept that we had not made the final.”
It was as if Rohit was mumbling something to himself. He seemed a little distracted, and I couldn’t make sense of what was going on. Seeing me slightly anxious, he smiled and said, “World event jeetna hai [We have to win a world event]. This is one obsession we have to fulfil.”
It was also self-introspection of sorts. He was speaking to himself more than he was talking to me. He was desperate to win a global trophy, and it was as if his legacy as a cricketer depended on it.
The start has been good. From 10-3, his middle order led by the talismanic Kohli and the hugely talented KL Rahul managed to take control against Australia. And against Afghanistan, Rohit himself did the job with Ishan Kishan, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer all making contributions.
Ahead of the match against Pakistan, the entire Indian top order have some runs under their belts, and that should please the captain no end. Rohit himself has an incredible record against Pakistan in 50-overs cricket, and had played a match-winning hand in the 2019 World Cup. A similar effort on Saturday would mean the Indian campaign has well and truly taken off.
While the World Cup will not be won or lost against Pakistan, suffice to say a win would mean a lot for the players and the fans. It is a high-pressure game, and will be the ultimate test of whether this team, under Rohit, is ready.
While Rohit and Virat continue to trend on X, and there is a lot of talk about the 100 and Virat’s gesture of friendship towards Naveen-ul-Haq, it is time once again to remind ourselves that each of these efforts is part of a process. Small contributions towards a larger goal. Rohit, more than anyone, will know that.
For years, there was a debate centred on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Fans were divided. The debate has largely been put to rest after Messi won the World Cup for Argentina. That’s the ultimate prize, and no number of individual accolades can make up for it. Rohit, a football fan, will surely know that. He needs to win the World Cup to be considered among the greatest, and ranked alongside MS Dhoni in the echelons of leaders. No number of individual hundreds can make up for lack of silverware. So the leader in Rohit, while pleased with the effort, will want to look ahead and continue with the journey. This time round, he will want that trophy in his dressing room. It will complete him as a cricketer, and be a logical end point in his quest for excellence.
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Rohit Sharma had just been appointed captain and we were speaking on his philosophy of leadership in December 2021. “The captain should be the last one in the team in…
The post Records Mean Little to Rohit as he Bids to End Trophy Drought appeared first on RevSportz | Latest Sports News.
