Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara praised Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for his outstanding captaincy skills during the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 and commended the way Sharma rotated the Indian bowlers in the middle overs to maintain control of the game and not let it slip away at any point.
Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy from Virat Kohli last year across all formats, and he has proven to be an excellent leader. He led India to victory in the 2018 Asia Cup and under his captaincy, India won the 8th Asia Cup title in 2023 and has been performing brilliantly in the ongoing ODI World Cup, winning all six matches in the marquee event.
Speaking on Espncricinfo, Cheteshwar Pujara commended Rohit Sharma for his excellent captaincy throughout the World Cup. He appreciated Sharma’s decision to use Mohammed Siraj in the middle overs of the game, as Siraj was not very effective with the new ball.
“He has been brilliant, not just in this game. If you look at the way he has led the team in the entire World Cup, especially the way he brings in the seamers. We have seen that Siraj hasn’t started well in many games now; it’s been two or three games where he hasn’t bowled well with the new ball”.
“But it’s about how Rohit uses him in the middle overs. Whenever Rohit has used Siraj in the middle overs, he has given the breakthrough,” Cheteshwar Pujara said
Under their captain, the Indian team has developed a new identity. Rohit Sharma, the team’s second-highest run-scorer and primary high-impact batter in the powerplay, has led the way.
Sharma has even managed to take on the best out of the Indian bowlers in the tournament and would be keen to lead the Indian team aggressively in the ongoing marquee event.
Not Many Captains Are Able To Do That – Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara praised the Indian skipper for leading the team well in the middle overs of the game and believes that most captains fail to control the game in the 10 to 40 over mark, which leads to other teams’ failure in the game. Pujara also lauded the Indian skipper for being aggressive in the field and picking up wickets in the crucial middle phase of the game.
“And he has been very smart as he has led India well in the middle overs. Not many captains are able to do that. The 10 to 40 over period is the most important in ODIs. Rohit knows that he has to be aggressive, pick those wickets in the middle phase, which he has been able to do,” Cheteshwar Pujara added.
On Sunday, October 29, in Lucknow, Rohit scored 87 runs off 101 deliveries to help the Men in Blue set a 230-run target for the defending champions. India’s bowlers then proceeded to dismiss Jos Buttler and his team for 129 runs, securing a 100-run victory for India and putting them at the top of the points table.