Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha praised Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for his magnificent century against Afghanistan in the third T20I following two straight ducks. The 36-year-old scored his fifth T20 hundred, marking his return to the shorter format of the game.
Rohit Sharma not only scored a century in the first innings, but he also led India to a hard-fought victory in the Super Overs. It was a much-needed comeback for Rohit in T20 Cricket following a spate of poor performances. His previous century in the 20-over format came in November 2018 against the West Indies at Lucknow.
During a conversation on Colors Cineplex, Pragyan Ojha expressed his admiration for Rohit Sharma for playing according to the needs of the situation. The former spinner believes that experienced Indian players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be critical in guiding the team’s young players in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“The situation was grim. When he started, he knew they were bowling well, they were bowling good lengths, so he gave them respect. However, after that, the way he kept driving the game, he tactfully took every step.”
“It shows why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are so valuable for this team. It’s very important not only for you to play in such situations but also to take the youngsters along with you,” Pragyan Ojha said.
The 36-year-old was the standout performer in the third T20I against Afghanistan. Despite the difficult conditions and the loss of a couple of early wickets in Bangalore, the Indian captain came back among the runs in the pressure situations. He scored a stunning century and made crucial contributions in both Super Overs to help Men in Blue secure the series 3-0 on home soil.
We Are Talking About Rohit Sharma But Rinku Singh Showed Maturity – Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha commended Rohit Sharma for forming a crucial partnership with Rinku Singh (69* off 39) to form fifth highest wicket partnership for the Indian team and feels Rohit and Virat Kohli would make similar contributions in the future heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“We are talking about Rohit but Rinku also showed maturity. Their understanding was fantastic. The calmness was maintained because Rohit Sharma was there in the middle and managing things. In matches going ahead, you will see such contributions from Virat Kohli and Rohit, who are the senior members, and such things are being expected from them,” Pragyan Ojha added.
Rohit Sharma is likely to ply his trade for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, captaining the side in the West Indies and the USA. The Indian skipper batted exceedingly well in the ODI World Cup, where he scored almost 600 runs at a strike rate of more than 125 alongside smashing 31 sixes during the tournament, and would be keen to the team’s success in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
