Brian Lara spoke in detail about Rohit Sharma as the batter continues on his impressive performances in IPL 2024 with MI.
Mumbai Indians’ star batter Rohit Sharma has had an interesting past few months. In December last year, Rohit was removed as captain of the franchise, with the returning Hardik Pandya taking over as the new skipper of Mumbai Indians; the very next month, Rohit made a return as T20I captain after over a year, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed him as India’s skipper for the T20 World Cup in June later this year.
Rohit Sharma of Mumbai Indians during the practice session at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur (PTI)
Amidst all this, however, Rohit’s performances didn’t suffer; he smashed two centuries during the five-Test series against England in January-March and is currently sixth in the list of highest run-getters in the IPL this year. Moreover, the 36-year-old also smashed a century in Mumbai Indians’ last match against the Chennai Super Kings, remaining unbeaten on 105 off 63 deliveries.
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Former West Indian captain and batting legend Brian Lara was supremely impressed by Rohit’s work ethic, as he spoke about the MI star in detail during an appearance for Star Sports. Responding to a fan query on Rohit on what sets the star batter apart, Lara praised his ability to keep the controversies and setbacks aside and focus on his batting.
“When you look at Rohit Sharma, you feel that he connects to the public very well. He had a tough upbringing, he came out and pretty much spent his entire life playing for India; sometimes, not getting the nod from selectors and having to work his way back. When you have an image and stature of Rohit Sharma, sometimes, some people don’t take the knock down really well. But what’s admirable with him is his ability to put everything aside, and put India first, and put Mumbai Indians first, and play cricket the way it should be,” said Lara.
Lara’s comments may be in reference to the time when Rohit was not considered for Team India selection at the 2011 World Cup, and was also a late entrant into the Indian Test team. It wasn’t until 2019 that Rohit cemented his place in the Test side as an opener.
“He’s not a sulker, which is great. He is a leader, it doesn’t matter if you are captain or not. At some point of time, when you get to a certain age or level, you are a leader. I think he represents that role really well,” Lara said further.
Rohit returns to action on Thursday
The MI legend is set to return to action on Thursday when his side takes on the Punjab Kings in a key IPL 2024 match in Mullanpur. MI haven’t had a desirable start to their new era under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, with the side currently placed seventh in IPL table with two wins in six matches.
