Rohit Sharma has evolved into one of the most important figures within the Indian cricket team. The former South African international, Jonty Rhodes recalled his coaching days with the Mumbai Indians where the franchise saw its most successful period in its history.
Rhodes reminisces on those days when he remains shocked to see that Rohit has not changed a bit. The fielding maestro recalled various aspects during training and compared that to the great Sachin Tendulkar who was way more focused on the finer details regarding their training.
“I mean he hasn’t changed at all. It’s so ridiculous. I just picture his walk when he came out to bat and he would have a few throw-downs in the nets or even shadow-hitting, it was just majestic. He didn’t practice as hard as Sachin Tendulkar. That’s for sure. Maybe he practices away from the nets at times but just his technical ability and I think he doesn’t have the best technique,” Rhodes commented in a YouTube podcast titled Aleena Dissects
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“He’s being criticised for not having a lot of foot movement, but because he is so relaxed at the crease and those hands flow well. It’s been great to see him because he stayed the same, true to himself and I think that’s so important,” he added.
The 55-year-old emphasised the need to stick to their true selves to help bring out the consistency that is required at the highest level and the coach of the Lucknow Super Giants shared that he cannot be compared to a Virat Kohli and hailed Rohit for sticking to his true self.
“Because if you’re a Virat Kohli and you’re in the face of people. that’s Virat Kohli. But you can’t ask him to do all that, Rohit is taking over from this guy, be like him. If you’re true to yourself then you’re going to be more consistent in your performance so it’s been good to see his journey,” he shared
Jonty even recalls the characteristics of the Indian skipper that fans have grown to adore. From his stump-mic antics to his laidback approach with his teammates off the field which the South African legend believes is a great way to lead the side as it takes the pressure away from the teammates.
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“Even when playing against him or coaching against him, whether he is at IPL, franchise level or international cricket, you see the same. You know, messes around with the teammates, you can hear some of the stuff in the microphone,” said Jonty
“He’s really funny and people don’t expect that from Rohit. He’s quite the cheeky guy. He’s a senior guy but he’s behaving like a kid. I think as a captain that takes the pressure away, the mindset you know, the players are not stressed under him,” he concluded.
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