Competitive, cool, consistent – as captain, Rohit Sharma has that rarest of combinations

Rohit Sharma doesn’t so much hide his competitiveness as allow the rest of his character to overshadow it, and that’s precisely what makes him so well-liked within the team set-up. (Image credit: @ImRo45/Twitter, File photo)

Rohit Sharma is the kind of guy who can never stay angry for long. Even when he is scowling, you know that a wide grin isn’t far away. That isn’t the worst quality to possess when you are the captain of a national sports side, and a definite plus when you are occupying the hottest seat in world cricket.

As odious as comparisons are, it’s inevitable that Rohit Sharma will be measured against his illustrious predecessor who is now one of the foot soldiers under the new general. Virat Kohli had a long stint as Indian skipper, leading the Test team for seven years, and occupying the limited-overs throne for nearly five. He was unafraid to read the riot act, demanded extreme levels of fitness and commitment, and led from the front in all regards, not because he had to but because that’s how he’s wired.

Rohit is as intense, driven and focused as the man from Delhi, but he doesn’t wear all those traits as openly. He doesn’t so much hide his competitiveness as allow the rest of his character to overshadow it, and that’s precisely what makes him so well-liked within the team set-up.

Players have spoken of a more relaxed air in the dressing room since his ascension to the throne, and that’s no reflection on the Kohli era. True, Kohli ruled with an iron fist and was often seen as having the last word on various issues, most of them pertaining to selection, and even that wasn’t the whole truth, it was hard to shake off the feeling for the lay fan that he was the one calling the shots. You couldn’t argue with the results India produced under him, especially in overseas Tests, though in white-ball cricket, the lack of global success continued to rankle.

Even during the Kohli days, Rohit led the white-ball teams from time to time, either when the captain was injured or was rested so that he could recharge his batteries. You could see that Rohit brought a different style with him, that he was less openly demanding, that he allowed players space and let make their own decisions, so long as they took responsibility for their actions. It’s not that he didn’t crack the whip, but he did it in his own affable way, the harshness of the sting taken away by the lack of animosity.

Anyone who feels Rohit is reluctant to take hard decisions obviously doesn’t know the man at all. There’s a reason why he has led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, or the Indian team to many wins including, famously, at the 20-over Nidahas Trophy in Colombo in 2018. During the final, to the consternation of many including the batsman at the centre of it all, Rohit held Dinesh Karthik back during India’s run-chase against Bangladesh. First Manish Pandey and then Vijay Shankar were slotted in ahead of the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman, who finally walked in at No. 7 at the end of the 18th over, with India requiring 34 for victory in 12 deliveries.

Also read: IPL 2022: How a series of chance decisions led Rohit Sharma to where he belongs

Karthik wasn’t amused because he believed he deserved to bat higher up the order, but Rohit knew what he was doing. His conviction stemmed from the understanding that Karthik had the finishing skills required to get the job done, that if he could channelise his angst at being ‘demoted’, he would deliver the goods. Karthik responded with a spectacular 8-ball 29 not out, the last of his three sixes coming off the final ball of the competition when, with five needed for victory, he smashed Soumya Sarkar over cover for the flattest of blows.

In that sense, Rohit was ahead of his time, ahead of Karthik’s time too, if you like. It wasn’t until four years later that Karthik recognised the finisher in himself, making specific adjustments to his batting to address the requirements of the backend of an innings, enjoying a roaring time with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and earning an India recall that appeared nowhere in sight when he took up commentary duties during India’s Test tour of England last summer.

There might be some merit to the argument that, as stand-in skipper, the pressure is a lot less because you are only doing a holding job, warming the bench until the incumbent returns. It’s debatable, however, if Rohit entertained such a philosophy. He didn’t consider himself a replacement skipper; he had a job to do, which was to lead the team to the best of his abilities, and he did a fabulous job of it too, as numbers will testify.

That he had led Mumbai Indians for so long, and with distinction, meant when the time came for his elevation to the Indian leadership role in his own right this time last year, he was more than prepared for the responsibility. His phenomenal run in Test cricket since embracing the opener’s role in October 2019 meant that when Kohli abdicated the Test throne too this January, he was the automatic choice to take control as the all-format captain.

Captain Rohit Sharma (centre) lifts Virat Kohli as they celebrate after a win at the MCG.

In coach Rahul Dravid, he has found a kindred spirit, much like Kohli did in Ravi Shastri. Together, they worked out a template for white-ball batting which revolved around being aggressive but smart at the top of the batting chart. Being attacking from the off isn’t a tack that comes naturally to Rohit, quite the master at building an innings and then exploding – there’s a reason why he has three ODI double-hundreds and four T20I centuries – but seeing as he can’t ask others to do what he himself won’t, he has reshaped his approach. It hasn’t always produced big runs, but Rohit’s commitment to the cause is admirable.

As is his conviction that unless there is an environment of inclusivity, freedom and security, it will be impossible for players to give off their best. One of the worst circumstances to operate in is when you are constantly looking over your shoulder, wondering whether anyone’s got your back at all. By putting his money where his mouth is and allowing players the licence to follow the team goal even if it means more than the occasional failure which will not be held against them, Rohit has sought to take away the fear of failure that is such a detriment to bigger things.

None of this guarantees results, and cricket more than many other sports measures success in absolute black and white. Rohit’s personal returns have diminished in T20Is since he took over as full-time skipper – 30 games have yielded 773 runs with just two half-centuries at 27.60 (overall 31.49 in 146 matches) at a strike-rate (140.54) marginally better than his career number (139.80) – but if that isn’t being discussed much, it’s because he has produced the goods in other areas. He is the first to understand that he needs to show greater consistency, and when one is honest to himself, he can’t but be the same with others.

In his first ICC tournament as captain, Rohit has made all the right moves but as a semifinal berth beckons, he knows this is just the first step, a stepping-stone to potentially greater honours. He is fortunate to have under his command a team that likes, respects and values him; if you take away all the noise, you will find that they are only giving back what they are receiving from the skipper.