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Cricket Players'Rohit was not afraid to say...': Kumble hands special request to Hitman before MI vs RCB showdown in IPL 2023
Ex-India skipper Anil Kumble has handed a special to Rohit Sharma ahead of MI's IPL 2023 opener against Virat Kohli-starrer RCB.
Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians (MI) will be eager to bounce back after a forgetful season in the world's richest T20 league - the Indian Premier League (IPL). Led by India's all-format captain, record-time winners Mumbai Indians will launch their title bid in the IPL 2023 on Sunday. Rohit's MI will meet Virat Kohli-starrer Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their campaign opener. Rohit will also complete 10 years as the leader of the Mumbai Paltan in the cash-rich league this season.
One of the finest players in the history of the game, Rohit has guided Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles since the inception of the elite tournament. Nicknamed Hitman, the Indian opener is also the most successful player and captain in the history of IPL. Talking about the meteoric rise of the Hitman before MI's IPL 2023 against RCB, former Indian skipper Anil Kumble recalled Mumbai’s title-winning seasons under the leadership of the star batter.
“He was not afraid to say what he had to say. He had plenty of experience around him and he reached out to them as well but then but took his own decisions. That’s what you want from a captain. 2017 was a new team and the kind of captaincy we saw from him in terms of defending low scores, that’s when your true leadership comes out,” Kumble told JioCinema.
Former Indian head coach Kumble also handed a special to Rohit ahead of the IPL 2023. The legendary Indian spinner feels senior batter Rohit should bat at the No. 4 position in the IPL 2023. “Especially with the current MI team, you need that experience in the middle order. There are some wonderful batters that MI possess, but I think someone like Rohit Sharma in the middle, controlling seven to fifteen overs is extremely critical,” Kumble added.
Senior batter Rohit opened the MI innings with superstar Ishan Kishan last season. Indian opener Rohit capped off his worst season as batter and captain at IPL 2022. The Mumbai Indians skipper failed to register a single 50-plus score in the previous edition of the celebrated tournament. Averaging only 19.14, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit scored 268 runs in 14 matches last season. With four wins and 10 defeats to their name, Rohit's MI finished 10th in the 10-team tournament last year.
