Ravichandran Ashwin disclosed that according to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma is more of a challenge for captains in the death overs than MS Dhoni, despite Dhoni being renowned for his finishing abilities in the format.
Ashwin mentioned that in Kohli’s opinion, once Rohit Sharma settles after 15-20 overs, he becomes extremely difficult for death bowlers to contain because of his diverse range of shots.
Ashwin said on his YouTube channel: “(Conversation with Virat about Rohit) 5-6 years back, Virat Kohli and I had a discussion while Rohit was batting. I don’t remember which match it was. Seeing Rohit bat, I was thinking, ‘Where do you even bowl to him?’ If Rohit is set after 15-20 overs, you wouldn’t know where to bowl to him.”
He added: “Virat asked me, ‘Do you know who is a captain’s nightmare at the death?’. I asked, ‘Is it Dhoni?’. Kohli was like, ‘No, it is Rohit.’ When I asked him, ‘Why?’, he said, ‘You won’t know where to bowl.’”
Rohit Sharma’s batting performance in the Asia Cup 2023 has been outstanding. The right-handed opener has scored three consecutive half-centuries against Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
In his recent innings against Sri Lanka, he scored 53 runs from 48 balls. Notably, he also joined an elite group of Indian cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, by reaching the milestone of 10,000 ODI runs.
“I just get a feeling that we might see another double hundred in this World Cup” – R Ashwin on Rohit Sharma
Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his belief that Rohit Sharma is capable of scoring a double century in the upcoming 2023 World Cup. The 36-year-old praised Rohit for his ability to play a wide range of shots at any point during a match.
Ashwin said: “He has got all the shots in the book and once he played an extraordinary knock in Chinnaswamy Stadium (209 vs Australia in 2013) that Kohli can never forget, it seems. Rohit Sharma has got all the shots, and he makes it look so effortless and easy.”
He added: “Whereas with Rohit, if he starts well, it is kind of deflating for the opposition. Be it inside the powerplay or after the 10 overs. I just get a feeling that we might see another double hundred in this World Cup.”
For those who may not know, Rohit has already achieved the remarkable feat of scoring three double centuries in ODIs, with his highest score being 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014.
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