Team India reached the final of the recently concluded ICC ODI World Cup 2023, before falling at the final hurdle against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in heartbreaking fashion.
Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli, calling the two batsmen as natural leaders.
The veteran from Tamil Nadu said that the two stars were in tears after the loss and it was a tough one to take.
“Yes, we felt the pain. Rohit and Virat were crying. Seeing that it felt bad. Anyways, not meant to be,” Ashwin began.
“This team was experienced. Everybody knew what to do. And then it was professional. Everybody knew their routines and warm-ups. I think two natural leaders gave the team the space to do these two and created a vibe,” he said.
Ashwin lauded Rohit’s efforts as the skipper of the team that registered 11 straight wins at the World Cup before losing the final, stating that he understood every player in the unit.
“If you look at Indina cricket, everybody will tell you MS Dhoni is one of the best captains. Rohit is an outstanding person. He understands every single person in the team, he knows what each one of us likes and dislikes,” Ashwin said.
“He has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each member personally.”
He added that Rohit has the knack of explaining the tactics to each person at a level that the player can understand.
“He puts in a lot of effort. Forgoes sleep and becomes part of meetings, he first puts in the effort. He makes an effort to understand how to explain tactics to each person. That’s an advanced level of leadership in Indian cricket,” the 37-year-old said.
Rohit, who ended second in the golden bat race with 597 runs, only behind Kohli’s record-breaking 765 runs in the tournament, led from the front as he gave the men in blue an attacking start every game in the ICC showpiece.
“And also, walking the talk. Telling everyone to play a brand of cricket is one thing, but doing it and showing it on the field is another thing,” the Chennai-born player said.
“I have known Rohit for a long time. What he did at the top set the ball rolling. He gave us the confidence. He said ‘It is okay if we get out for 150. At least we will set the tone, and instil fear’,” he elaborated.
Ashwin concluded by expressing that all members of the Indian unit gave a good account of themselves at the tournament.
“I think all 11 in the team had a great World Cup,” he signed off.
Comments
0 comment