Former Pakistan Skipper Salman Butt took a dig at the fitness of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma while comparing him to legendary MS Dhoni after his 5th IPL title in the cash-rich league. The 38-year-old claimed that they are world of difference between both the players in terms of fitness.
MS Dhoni was one of the most successful captains in international cricket history. Under his captaincy, India won the ICC World T20 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, and ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and has won five IPL titles leading Chennai in the cash-rich league.
Speaking on his youtube channel, when asked to compare the fitness of the two best captains in the IPL history, Salman Butt bashed the fitness of the present Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma stating that he should set the standards for the Men in blue leading their side and reckons that if he expects something from his players, then he should be one to set an example for his teammates.
“There’s a world of difference between the two. Rohit Sharma has a big designation, he’s the captain of India. He should be leading by example in all aspects, and fitness is a very important aspect. As a captain, when you are in a position to demand something from your teammates, you should have them yourself. You should be top of the line,” Salman Butt said.
Rohit Sharma‘s fitness has been a cause for the Indian team in recent years. The Men in Blue had the most number of captains in the year 2022, with Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah leading the team in the absence of their regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed out on numerous matches owing to injuries last year.
I Don’t Know Why Rohit Sharma Isn’t Fit Enough – Salman Butt
Salman Butt feels that Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma should work on his fitness and reckons that his fitness would help him to improve his batting and confidence in the big tournaments.
“When you look at Rohit Sharma, you realize that fitness is one aspect where he can be a lot better. It will improve his batting and confidence as well. But we are talking about it for a long time now. I don’t know why he isn’t fit enough. Maybe he knows the reason himself,” he further added.
Besides, the ICC World Test Championship final will be the second major assignment for Rohit Sharma as the Indian skipper next to the T20 World Cup in 2022, where they were defeated by reigning champions England in the semifinals. Rohit Sharma will look to end India’s ICC title drought In WTC Final and ODI World Cup later this year.