The Indian run-machine Rohit Sharma is one of the best opening hitters in the cricket world. He ended 2019 with several record-breaking performances in all the forms of the game. And while he is known for smashing the best of the bowlers in the limited-overs game, Rohit changed the dynamics of the Test format. The red-ball game that is known for batsmen playing slow and big shots, the HITMAN went on with his usual brute force as does in the ODI and T20I games.
Rohit slammed the year 2019 with a grand sum of 2,442 runs in the international cricket that included the impeccable innings of 556 runs in the Test cricket against South Africa. Rohit came in as the Test opener in the long-format game and smashed all the previous disappointments he had with himself in that format. The right-hander said that he stopped thinking about the techniques and went on the field with just the mindset to enjoy the game.
“At the end of the day, I want to go out there, share a laugh with my mates and enjoy. If you talk about opening in the SA series, from people’s perspective, it was my last chance but I am a sportsman and I can’t think like that. If I thought it was my last chance then I wouldn’t have scored runs with that mindset,” Rohit said.
Rohit: Think even Virat (Kohli) must have felt the same way as families are an important aspect of our lives
Regardless of the best performances in the world-famous game, Rohit has faced the brutal scrutiny of fans and media. Yet the ‘family man’ said that he is in a better place now and with his wife Ritika and daughter Samaira around him, he gets all the support he needs in a game.
“I am a different Rohit in terms of how I think. I am in such a great space in my life because of the family that I have — my wife (Ritika) and daughter (Samaira). I am not worried about what others are talking about. They (wife and daughter) fill me with love and happiness and I try to stay within that rather than thinking about X, Y or Z making comments about me,” Rohit was quoted as saying by The Quint.
Rohit also expressed how hurt and angry he was when his family was dragged into India’s ouster in the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. With the rain washing away the first-day spirit, Indian batsmen were unable to handle the pace attack by New Zealand on the reserve day of the semi-final of the coveted ICC tournament. As a result, India lost the game when the wicketkeeper MS Dhoni was run out, and they were left broken by just 18 runs.
However, the entire social media lit up with the messages about bringing families on the ground, which is often regarded as a ‘distraction source’. This was not the first time that Indian fans blamed cricketers’ families as a distraction for losing the game. In a stern tone, Rohit warned people about bringing his family in any of the issues.
“Our families are there to support us, make us feel happy. When all these things were being written about, few of my friends came and told me and believe me or not, I was just laughing,” Rohit said.
“But then it went on and on and they dragged my family and that was not on. You talk about me but don’t drag my family as they genuinely don’t care about anything else. I think even Virat (Kohli) must have felt the same way as families are an important aspect of our lives,” Rohit added.
In the meantime, the all-time hitter for India team is in at rest during the ongoing home T20I series against Sri Lanka. He ended next to skipper Virat Kohli in the ICC rankings in the ODI cricket for the year 2019. All the while, he broke several records in all the three formats of cricket. Ending 2019 on a happy note, Rohit welcomed 2020 by celebrating his daughter’s birthday on 30th December.