'Best advice I received was from Rohit Sharma...': Ex-India spinner recalls India captain's words from 'U19' days
Pragyan Ojha recalled an advice from Rohit Sharma during their U19 days for India.
India recently suffered a 0-2 ODI series loss to Sri Lanka, marking their first bilateral defeat against the team since 1997. This series saw the much-anticipated return of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the lineup. However, despite their presence, India faltered in all three matches, failing to chase down modest mid-240 totals as Sri Lanka’s spin attack proved too challenging.
Amidst the disappointment, Rohit Sharma stood out with his aggressive and dynamic gameplay. Since the ODI World Cup last year, Rohit has revamped his approach, adopting a more attacking style. This was evident in the series against Sri Lanka, where, despite the overall team struggles, he emerged as the highest run-scorer with 157 runs.
His remarkable strike rate of 141.44 was the highest of any batter in the series, highlighting his intent and form, even as India faced a rare setback.
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, who shared the dressing room with Rohit during their time together with the Indian team, as well as the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the IPL, spoke about advice from Rohit that he received during their U19 days. Ojha stated Rohit insisted that one had to be a “match-winner” to succeed in the Indian team.
“The best advice I received was from Rohit Sharma when we were playing U19 cricket. He said, ‘Everyone wants to play for the country because we have come at the U19 level. But if you want to play for India for a long time, then you need to be a match-winner,” Ojha said.
Ojha's India career
Ojha represented India in 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20Is. He was particularly impressive in the longest format, picking 113 wickets for the side, which included seven five-wicket hauls. His last appearance for the side came in 2013 during India's two-Test series against West Indies in Mumbai, which was also batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's last Test.
Rohit, meanwhile, is set to return to action next month when India host Bangladesh for a two-Test series, which will also mark the beginning of the side's home season.
