IPL 2019: Rohit Sharma – Hitman yes, also captain convincing

Rohit Sharma is not like Virat Kohli. He comes across as calmer and someone who is always in control of his emotions. Yet when it comes to taking a bold decision, Sharma never backs down.

Come what may, Rohit Sharma the batsman always backs his instincts. As a captain though, he is more calculative and trusts his game-reading skills. That Sharma stands toe-to-toe with MS Dhoni with respect to number of IPL titles won has a lot to do with a balanced squad at his disposal over the years. But to extract the best — more importantly at the right time — is a task in itself. Sharma has been acing that test since 2013.

File image of Rohit Sharma. (AFP)

Sharma is not like Virat Kohli. He comes across as calmer and someone who is always in control of his emotions. Yet when it comes to taking a bold decision, Sharma never backs down. Like when he played off-spinner Jayant Yadav for only his second game this IPL in the first qualifier against Chennai. Yadav returned 3-0-25-1 and played a crucial part in shifting the course of the match in Mumbai Indians’ favour. Another bet hedged and won, Sharma could pat himself on the back. This hasn’t come easy. Observing and analysing matches since his school cricket days has made Sharma such a good tactician.

Game-reading

“There are few batsmen in the world like Rohit, Kohli, AB de Villiers who can read a bowler earlier than others. It’s a natural gift. But when it comes to captaincy, Rohit has honed that quality from his school days when he led the Swami Vivekanand International School,” Dinesh Lad, Rohit’s childhood coach, said. “He was calm and positive. He looked for new ways to get the batsmen out.”

Proof of that came on Tuesday when Rohit used five different bowlers in the Powerplay against CSK. To use an off-spinner against left-handed batsmen or a leg-spinner against a right-hander is a basic strategy that Sharma executed to great effect.

He brought leg-spinner Rahul Chahar in the third over against openers Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson. Very first ball, Chahar’s leg-break deceived du Plessis. Suresh Raina was next and Rohit introduced Yadav to exploit the left-hander’s weakness against spin. Yadav caught Raina off his own bowling.

“In the Powerplay, the batsman cannot get used to you because if he understands what you are trying to do in different deliveries, he can really size you up because of the field restrictions. Rohit, I think has been brilliant with that and it was just one of those occasions when he juggled his bowlers to the best situation,” Jayant said.

Home work

Sharma mostly stations himself at the cover region, a spot most suited for effective communication with the bowler. That Yadav was put into action in such a high-pressure match was a calculated risk. At spin-friendly Chennai, Yadav replaced New Zealand’s left-arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan, who was dropped despite being economical in his previous match.

While keeping the core intact, Rohit has also rotated the in-form players this IPL depending on the situation. As a captain he takes the onus on himself and that has reflected in international matches as well.

International captaincy

Among all players who have captained India in 10 or more ODIs, Rohit has the highest win percentage of 80. He has also led India to 12 wins in 15 T20Is. Sharma’s win percentage of 80 is the most for anyone who has captained 15 or more matches in the shortest format. This natural ability to lead hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“The first time he led Mumbai Indians to an IPL win, that was his first season as a captain and he impressed with his knowledge of what to do next more than what to plan,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying during the 2018 Asia Cup that India won under Sharma.

“I think the planning takes place inside the dressing room but that plan can actually go awry and for that, you need a captain to take the spot decisions. Every time he has got an opportunity to captain India, he has shown his acumen and how patient he can be. As a batsman, the added responsibility only makes him better,” said Gavaskar.

Sharma finished the second highest run-getter in the Asia Cup with 317 runs in five matches. It was not a one-off success for him in a dual role. India lost by seven wickets to Sri Lanka after being shot out for just 112 in Rohit’s first match as ODI captain in December 2017. Next match in Mohali, Sharma scored an unbeaten 208 that took India to 392 and ultimately to a 141-run win. He ended as the top-scorer as India wrapped up the series 2-1. With such an assuring record, it’s no surprise he will be India’s vice-captain at the World Cup.