Rohit’s redemption: From sitting out in Sydney to standing tall in Dubai | Cricket News
AS THE Indians got busy posing with the ICC Champions Trophy, skipper Rohit Sharma would quietly emerge out of the smog, walk to the middle of the pitch, uproot one of the stumps and have a short dandiya jig with Virat Kohli. Unlike in Barbados last year when India won the T20 World Cup, where he struggled to hold back tears, here he would hug his longtime teammate with a huge grin.
In a matter of months, Rohit’s fortunes have taken a dramatic turn. At the start of the year, when Rohit dropped himself for the Sydney Test after a string of low scores, his future in the team was in question. There were doubts whether he would even lead the team here. But here he was, putting the team once again on the podium holding a trophy aloft. A T20 World Cup title eight months ago in the Caribbean and now the Champions Trophy puts Rohit just one step below M S Dhoni as the most successful Indian captain in ICC events.
With speculation about his international future and the possibility of him walking away from the ODI format on a high, Rohit would end the press conference with a disclaimer for anyone who had doubts about his future. “One more thing, I am not going to retire from this format… just to make sure that no rumours are spread, moving forward. Ok guys? Thank you so much.”
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India captain Rohit Sharma and teammates celebrate with the winners trophy on the podium after defeating New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. (AP Photo)
After a lean recent patch, the triumph here has given him a shot in the arm. Rohit missed a chance to do it all himself on the night and had to overcome a roller-coaster ride that would have definitely set some jitters in the dressing room. When he sat and watched Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel get out, he would have cursed himself and his dismissal would have kept playing endlessly in his mind.
Rohit got out going for a big shot against left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra when the Kiwis had started getting a stranglehold on proceedings. He had taken his foot off the pedal a bit after a rollicking start. On another occasion, the manner of his dismissal would have disappointed the batsman, but not Rohit who has been taking on an aggressive role at the top of the order in the last few years.
“It is not natural to me but it is something I really wanted to do, when you are trying something different, you need the backing of the team and they were with me, Rahul (Dravid) bhai in the 2023 World Cup and now with Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) bhai. I have played all these years in a different style. I wanted to see if we can get results playing differently. It makes it easier and gives you that freedom, that’s why I wanted that batting depth. Jadeja coming at 8 gives you that confidence to go hard. If it comes off it comes off. Most important thing is that I am clear in my mind,” Rohit said.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma poses with the winners trophy after defeating New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. (AP Photo)
When Rohit trudged back with his head down in the 27th over, it felt Ahmedabad 2023 all over again. Like that afternoon on November 19, he was in the middle of something special before he brought about his own downfall, bringing New Zealand back into the game. However, this time it was a happy ending.Story continues below this ad
Up until that moment, the 76 he made was making India breathe easy. They had lost Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in successive overs, but Rohit made them assured.
Chasing 252, he once again gave a typical, rapid start. Off the second ball of the night, he got off the mark pulling Kyle Jamieson for a trademark six. Once he spotted the short length, he stood tall and picked the spot to deposit it over square-leg. The transfer of weight from front to back foot was smooth. That shot got Rohit going — he hit five boundaries and three sixes — as he made 49 of the 64 runs India got in the first Powerplay.
When New Zealand brought on the spinners, he put his daring approach to bed while still taking command of the situation. When Glenn Phillips brought out an acrobatic effort to send back his opening partner Shubman Gill, followed the dismissal of Virat Kohli an over later, it didn’t seem to bother him much.
It is what Rohit, the opener before the start of 2022, was so good at — constructing an innings, asserting himself fully before breaking free in the end. It is what fetched him a record three double centuries. On Sunday, he didn’t even get a hundred but his match-winning innings was far more significant — it ended India’s 50-over ICC event jinx and gave his career a second wind.
