NEW DELHI: Indian captain Rohit Sharma has recently opened up about his growth as an international batsman and leader, hinting at what it could look like for him in the future with the national team.
The right-hander spoke on Dubai Eye 103.8 Radio Station during a break from playing for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), reflecting on his career path.
He also shared that he wants to keep playing for many more years and make a positive impact across global cricket.
“It’s been a great journey; to get to this point is not easy especially where I come from in my country; it’s been 17 years; even now I hope to play some more years and have an influence in world cricket,” said Rohit.
The Indian skipper highlighted challenges encountered along his cricketing odyssey, acknowledging fewer successes than failures, especially when he was starting out. Ultimately, these setbacks made him doubt his place among national team players.
“I’ve seen more lows than highs in my life, who I am as an individual as well as a human being is because of those things which happened before and back then. When I started my career there wasn’t too much positivity around. And there weren’t many positives about me impacting the side or having any positive impact on the side either. It was whether I belong here or not. This is what you want to be as a person or want in this life,” stated Rohit.
Speaking of his position as India skipper, Rohit reiterated that leading one’s country is the greatest privilege any cricketer can get. He further shed light on his leadership style by discussing how he sees himself as a captain whose focus is primarily directed towards team success rather than individual achievements.
“Captaincy of your nation is probably one thing that anyone would love and for me never ever thought that this will happen when I will be captaining one day. But yeah, people say good things happen to good people,” Rohit stated.
“I was very lucky for that (captaincy) and I knew the past captains who have had an impact in Indian cricket and the kind of legacy they have left as well. We have had so many great captains, so yeah, just taking from where these guys left, making sure that the team heads in the right direction.”
“When I took over as India captain, I just wanted everyone to drive in one direction, that is how the team sport should be played, it is not about personal milestones, stats and goals, it is about what all 11 of us can bring to the table and win the trophy,” Rohit concluded his point.
Acknowledging its strong hold on him personally being a cricketer and role model in India-Rohit admitted to living under this pressure. He believes pressure should help him grow hence he never runs away from it.
I think that when you are not put under pressure, the real person in you never comes out much. Some of the time you don’t know what kinds of strengths you possess as an individual and hence, when you are under pressure, you try to bring out that strength,” he said.
India’s Rohit Sharma will feature in the ICC T20 World Cup from June 1st in West Indies and America.
