Follow UsRohit Sharma led India to two ICC trophies in less than a year, but according to Ravichandran Ashwin, his trophy-filled cabinet doesn’t define his legacy. Rather, the changes he influenced in India’s white ball batting template are what define his legacy.
Sharma was the Player of the Match in the final of the Champions Trophy against New Zealand and gave India another quick-fire start that allowed them to cruise to the target with ease. He scored 76 off 83 deliveries overall and was the leading run-scorer on the day.
“Against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma has played a measured knock. It was not like Ahmedabad,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel “Ash Ki Baat.”
“The way he attacked Nathan Smith. He never let him come back into the game. His intent was so good. He has led by example since that 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal loss against England. If a captain is willing to risk his wicket in the middle, the players know that’s how they will have to play,” Ashwin added.
The former Indian off-spinner mentioned how Sharma changed the entire accumulator mindset of Indian top-order batters by beginning the assault in the first 10 overs. That’s what has completely changed how Indian batters approach white-ball cricket. After all, if the captain is setting the example, it becomes easier for others to follow through.
“Rohit’s biggest legacy is not about winning the tournaments,” Ashwin asserted.
“He has won five IPL titles with Mumbai Indians. He has now led India to back-to-back ICC titles. That’s not his legacy. Rohit Sharma has changed the batting frontier of Indian white-ball cricket. That is his biggest legacy.
“He is a stalwart in ODI cricket. Actually, he changed our cricketing thought process in the white-ball when it comes to the batting. Earlier it was to score big runs, remain not out. Please note this. In India, the batting landscape was like this only: the top three batters would score big runs, and they would improve their average.
“The mindset is the same even in the junior age group; you stay not out and score big. I feel as a batter now in the ODIs and in the T20Is, you must play selfless cricket.
“With that regards Rohit Sharma has changed that mindset as a captain with the way he is playing and is asking his players to play the same way. May god be with him, he has been an absolute superstar for the Indian team,” Ashwin said.