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Cricket Players'I don’t like lot of outside input. He fits in that personality as captain': India pacer reserves huge praise for Rohit
India will face a stern test against the West Indies but the home team is expected to thrive under the leadership of Rohit, who has captained India 32 times to date.
Rohit Sharma had missed the series against South Africa due to a hamstring issue but the seasoned opener has now recovered and would be leading the Indian side in the upcoming home series against West Indies. The 34-year-old Rohit has taken over the mantle of white-ball captaincy from Virat Kohli and is currently the front-runner to become the Test skipper as well.
India will face a stern test against the West Indies but the home team is expected to thrive under the leadership of Rohit, who has captained India 32 times to date. But his stint with Mumbai Indians (MI) is a testament to his captaincy skills. He's led the outfit to a record five IPL titles to become the most successful captain in the history of the league.
Harshal Patel has also heaped praise on Rohit's approach while leading the side. The medium-pacer believes Rohit is a cool customer who gives his players the freedom to decide what they want to do.
“He [Rohit Sharma] will basically give you the ball and if he has confidence in you, he will not tell you about what to do. ‘You know what to do, just go and do it’. So, he is really good as captain and I really enjoy playing under those captains. I have my plans- Plan A, B, C so even when I get hit, I know what to do. I don’t like a lot of outside input and he fits in that personality as a captain. He is very relaxed and gives you the freedom,” Harshal said on the Star Sports' show 'Follow The Blues'.
The 31-year-old Harshal finished IPL 2021 with 32 wickets, which is the joint-highest for any bowler in a single season, joining Chennai Super Kings' Dwayne Bravo (2013) at the top of the list. He was also a part of the India squad that defeated New Zealand 3-0 in the T20I series last year. His variations with the wet ball were a big plus for the team and Harshal now sets his sights on the home series against the West Indies, beginning February 6.
The T20I series versus New Zealand was Harshal's maiden assignment in Indian colours and he picked up four wickets with the best bowling figures of 2/25. He also remembered head coach Rahul Dravid's piece of advice that focussed on living in the present moment.
“We know that you are a very confident bowler. We know what you want to do, you can or cannot do. I just want you to go out there and express yourself and enjoy the moment. We are going to back you no matter what,” recalled Harshal.
After a stellar IPL show last year, Harshal is also expected to fetch a hefty price in the upcoming IPL 2022 mega-auction. The Haryana cricketer wasn't among the three retained picks of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the franchise decided to go with Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj. Harshal has kept himself at a base price of INR 2 crore and it remains to be seen whether his previous IPL franchise splurges big money on him.
