New Delhi. Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that having an experienced player like Rohit Sharma in the Indian team can be very beneficial for Team India. The two-time champion team is moving towards preparations for the ICC Men's ODI World Cup. The 39-year-old right-handed opener Rohit Sharma has played 288 matches in his ODI career, scoring 11,895 runs at an average of 48.95. During this period, he scored 34 centuries and 62 half-centuries.
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Rohit has scored three double centuries in ODI
Rohit has scored three double centuries in this format. He was the leading run-scorer in the ODI World Cup 2019 and played an important role in making India the runner-up in the World Cup 2023 played on home soil.
Rhodes said, you have to remember that the World Cup experience is something that we often overlook. We pay attention to the players' talent, their ability and their performance. They may have played a brilliant innings or had a good season, but when it comes to pressure moments, the pressure is immense in the World Cup. Players can handle themselves physically, but mental strength is something that we often don't consider while picking a team, but as someone who has played in four Cricket World Cups and failed to get beyond the semi-finals twice. I know how stressful this can be. Therefore, having a player like Rohit Sharma in the World Cup is a huge strength.
Rhodes praised Kohli's passion
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Rhodes also praised veteran batsman Virat Kohli's tremendous competitive spirit and compared his intensity with the aggressive mentality of dominant Australian teams of the past. Like Rohit, Kohli has also been the main pillar of the Indian batting order in the ODI format. Kohli has scored 14,941 runs in 314 ODI matches at an average of 58.59, which includes 54 centuries and 79 half-centuries.
Rhodes said that we have seen Australia win many World Cups and have also seen their aggressive attitude and expectation of victory. I think Virat is also like this. He has a tremendous hunger to win matches for his team. When you are the leader and captain of a team and consistently remain the best chaser in the world, it shows how determined you are to help the team win. Chasing the target for such a long time, he has been the man to finish the match brilliantly for India.
He said that if seen from this perspective, he gets energy from that aggression. He has no problem with this while batting. Many players do not want to let their attention wander, but if they are batting, they are completely immersed in the competition. He is definitely a player who loves competition and conflict. He has a huge passion to win matches for India, and whether he is the captain or not, this passion will remain in him. He just wants India to win.