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Rohit Sharma Is Driven Not By Personal Milestone, But By Team Impact, Says Atul Wassan

Rohit Sharma: Former India cricketer Atul Wassan heaped praise on Rohit Sharma after the former India captain produced a fluent 57 off 51 balls in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday. Rohits knock, marked by authority and clean ball striking, also saw him eclipse Shahid Afridi to become the player with the most sixes in ODI cricket, taking his tally to 352. Rohit walked into the series on the back of a half-century and a century against Australia last month, and he carried that form into Ranchi, giving India a solid start after being put in to bat. His milestone-setting innings added yet another chapter to a career defined by timing, composure, and big-match temperament. Wassan lauded Rohits natural ability and insisted that his batting gifts are incomparable. He said that Rohits talent is God given, and something that comes naturally to him; no coach can teach this. Expanding on Rohits six-hitting milestone, Wassan highlighted the context behind the achievement and the value it brings to the Indian team. Rohit has created a benchmark with his record of sixes. People might say that the record is because he hits a lot of sixes today. But if you look at the context, as an opener, what was Afridi? A slogger. It was his USP. He used to hit 2-3 sixes even if he scored 30-odd runs. But as an opener, youve taken 100 innings less than him to achieve the record, Wassan said, speaking exclusively to IANS. If your opener has the potency to hit big shots, just imagine what it means for your teams strike rate. Whenever theres trouble, he can hit big. If you have that kind of talent, something no one else in the world has, Rohit has shown how, with his lazy elegance and timing, you can hit sixes. And this six-hitting record isnt just a number; this talent has won the team many matches. This matrix shows how crucial he has been, how he has delivered when needed, how he has played the big innings and given the team a leap, helping them out of pressure situations, he added. Wassan added that Rohit continues to establish himself as a match-winner even without relying on frequent centuries and emphasised that players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are driven not by personal milestones but by team impact. He also said that players like Kohli and Rohit are geniuses of the game and achieve such landmarks subconsciously while doing big things for the team. Hes proving to be a match-winner again. He already was, but hes just proving it again. He doesnt hit 100s like before, but if you look at how hes done since 2022, hes probably third or fourth. Hes set himself a very high standard. I also feel theres too much fixation in cricket about getting to the three-figure mark. A player is ranked based on how well and frequently he scores hundreds. There are many players who score 7080 runs, and if those 80 runs contribute to a teams win, then they are better than a hundred. But because hundreds are glamorous, the optics in cricket make it seem otherwise, he added. Wassan added that Rohit continues to establish himself as a match-winner even without relying on frequent centuries and emphasised that players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are driven not by personal milestones but by team impact. He also said that players like Kohli and Rohit are geniuses of the game and achieve such landmarks subconsciously while doing big things for the team. Also Read: Live Cricket Score But look, this is God-given. Like a homing pigeon, it just knows the way back. Some players have that knack naturally. Talk about Tendulkar, Gavaskar, Kallis, or Virat, a hundred is a milestone they dont even have to think about. They know once they reach 3040, what they need to do next. Its not that they are playing selfishly for the hundred. Theyre such geniuses that while theyre heading toward a century almost subconsciously, they are also aware of the teams needs and calibrate their game accordingly. Coaches cant teach this; its God-given. But you still need to work hard on things like ball selection, shot selection, and fitness; only then can you achieve all this, said Wassan. Article Source: IANS