KL Rahul: Rohit Sharma Holds The Same Stature For Me Like Sachin Tendulkar Held For Other Indian Players
Jun 14, 2020 at 6:15 PM
India’s new find as their first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the limited overs-format, KL Rahul, has heaped a lot of praise on Rohit Sharma, his vice-captain in the India National Cricket Team. KL Rahul even went on to say that Rohit Sharma holds as grand a stature for him as Sachin Tendulkar held for other Indian players.
Although Rohit Sharma made his debut for India in 2007, it was in 2013 that Rohit became Ro-Hit. In the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, being his usual self, took a very strange decision of going into the tournament with a new opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. And as the entire world has seen over the years, the decision bore fruits for Indian cricket. Team India went on to win the tournament in England, and as they say, rest is history.
Since then, Rohit Sharma has not looked back in his career and has been delivering the goods for team India, emerging as one of the greatest batsmen in world cricket.
KL Rahul Heaps Praise On Rohit Sharma
Speaking to India Today’s Consulting Editor Boria Majumdar in the latest episode of ‘Inspiration’, KL Rahul opened up on his competition with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Rahul admitted that he is a fan of Rohit and gets dumbstruck in front of him.
Notably, Rohit Sharma on the same show had said that KL Rahul is management’s first choice for the opening position when it comes to the T20I format.
“Humbled by Rohit’s words (that KL Rahul is the first choice and then it’s decided between me and Dhawan in T20Is). I have been a huge fan of his batting and I have played with him for a few years now but he is someone who is in the team, how do I say, like some cricketers get dumbstruck after watching Sachin Tendulkar, they don’t know what to say. When I am with Rohit off the field I have still not been able to get through,” KL Rahul said.
“But he is someone in the team who has given me that sense that he has a lot of faith in me and as a senior player I have seen that he has backed me and stood by me on a lot of instances. When senior players feel like there is a guy who can take responsibility and can be amongst one of the senior players that gives a young player or a player who has not played consistently for the country a lot of confidence,” KL Rahul added.
KL Rahul Has Done Considerably Well In India’s Recent Outings
KL Rahul has been an impressive performer for India lately in the limited-overs format and has been an excellent wicketkeeper-batsman for the Men in Blue. His performance in the T20I series against New Zealand earned him the Man of the Series. He is slowly cementing his place in the Indian team as a regular wicketkeeper-batsman.
Since MS Dhoni’s sabbatical after the 2019 World Cup, the team has failed to find a competent replacement. Pant had been given numerous chances, but he failed miserably. But, his concussion in the first ODI against Australia made way for Rahul, and the Karnataka wicketkeeper-batsman has become a regular starter since then.