During the recent game against J&K, Shardul Thakur had the opportunity to share the dressing room with Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who had made himself available for selection. In a recent interview, Shardul revealed details of his conversation with Rohit during the Ranji clash, giving insight into the India captain's mindset during a tough patch with the bat.
Rohit, who struggled for runs in India’s previous series against New Zealand and Australia, silenced critics with a breathtaking century in the second ODI against England in Cuttack. His 119 off just 90 balls played a pivotal role in India’s successful 305-run chase.
Shardul, a longtime friend and teammate of Rohit, was effusive in his praise for the veteran batter. He revealed that Rohit was never short on confidence despite his lack of big scores. During their conversation in the Ranji Trophy match, Rohit had asserted that all he needed was one substantial innings to turn things around.
"When he played that Ranji game for us and did not score runs, we had a chat because he had not scored in Australia either. But he was so confident that he told me, 'I know the runs are not coming now, but all I need is just one innings. Then, runs will come automatically again,'" Shardul told RevSportz.
Shardul on Rohit's knockThe all-rounder dismissed concerns over Rohit's form, attributing his recent dismissals to sheer misfortune.
"The way he was batting (in the Cuttack ODI vs England), it did not even seem like he was out of form even once. He might get out in some balls, that happens to everyone in the nets. Apart from that, he looked very comfortable out there. It’s just a matter of luck...you can only blame luck. The way he hits those sixes, he is such a dangerous batter in every scenario. His class is different from all the rest," Shardul said.
While Rohit failed to get among the runs in the domestic fixture, Shardul pointed out that the India captain looked assured in the nets.
"He is an opener, and when they face the new ball, it is always tough. We should not judge him at any time, considering how many matches he has won for India across all formats over the years," he said.
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