Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels that Rohit Sharma has the luxury of taking his time at the beginning of the innings and reverting to his role as an accumulator rather than aggressively attacking the bowlers and urged him to get daddy hundreds in the forthcoming ODI World Cup in India.
Rohit Sharma is the only cricketer to have scored three double centuries in ODI cricket. The Indian captain has struggled to convert his promising starts into runs since he has been trying to play more aggressively against the bowlers.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar acknowledged that he understands why Rohit has been more aggressive, at times but advised the captain to be patient and aim for big scores in the World Cup which he is renowned for doing in ODI Cricket and believes that Shubman Gill can be a perfect partner to the Indian skipper at the top of the order as he can play as accumulator at the top of the order.
“I feel the one of an accumulator (what role should he play?). He is someone who has had phenomenal success as an ODI player. And many times that he has scored his hundred, it’s around the 30th over. All those 3 double hundreds that we speak of and rave of so much, the acceleration came toward the last 10-12 overs where he just toys with the bowling.”
“So a dangerous Rohit Sharma, if he gets to that 35-over mark, then India is assured of a score of around 350. If he sticks to that sort of a template, I know he is trying to do certain other things, maybe take the game away from the bowlers, but he has got a phenomenal, fearless Shubman Gill, he can afford to play the accumulator which will guarantee that India will get a big total,” Sanjay Bangar said
Rohit Sharma’s form will be crucial for the Indian team’s success in the impending ODI World Cup 2023, as the team will require him to be at his best going into the mega-event alongside young Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli.
I Will Get Out Few Times But I Didn’t Bother – Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is aware of the fact that his decision to play aggressively at the top has caused his average to drop, but he insisted that it was a deliberate one on his part given the demand for firepower in the modern-day ODI innings.
”Everyone wants to bat long and score those 150s and 170s. I still want to do that, but it is always nice to do something that you have not done. It only adds up to your list of batting abilities. Unless you do it, you won’t know it.”
”I know if I play high-risk shots, I will get out a few times but I didn’t bother. This was communicated by me to the management that this is how I want to play,” Rohit Sharma said.
Before Playing Australia in their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad on Sunday, India will play the Netherlands in their second warm-up game in Thiruvananthapuram and the first warm-up game against defending champions England was washed out and the Men in Blue will be hoping to game on Tuesday to have much-needed match practice before high octane game on October 8th.
