Former Indian cricketer and former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar heaped praise on Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for his commendable batting skills in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Rohit has scored 550 runs and played a significant role in pushing the team to their fourth ODI World Cup final.
Recalling Rohit's first big match, Vengsarkar said he first saw Rohit at National Cricket Academy (NCA) and had convinced the selectors to pick him for a Cricket Club of India (CCI) match where Bombay was playing against Australia.
"On the very first day, I realised he has got talent. I told our coach Chandrakant Pandit that you should include him in the playing XI. But unfortunately, on the day of the match, he came without his kit bag. I asked him why didn't you bring your kit bag. He said I didn't know I would be playing. I told Chandu not to scold him as he was a young guy. But he missed out on the opportunity. But later he played for Mumbai and there was no looking back. He was simply outstanding," Vengsarkar told India Today TV.
Comparing two extremely talented and successful batters in Team India, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Vengsarkar said that Rohit and Virat's approach towards the game is vastly different despite their individual success.
"Rohit and Virat are completely different players. Virat is extremely fit, Rohit is talented, both are talented. If Rohit works hard on his fitness, he can play for five more years," Vengsarkar said.
He added: "Rohit Sharma had a bit of a laid-back attitude, unlike Virat because Virat was there in the face," he continued. "He was aggressive and positive. Rohit is a tremendously talented player, there's no question about his talent. His skill level and mental toughness are superb. His execution of shots is absolutely amazing."
Both the players have been in outstanding form in the ongoing World Cup. Kohli is currently at the top of the run-charts with 711 runs, while Rohit is at fifth with 550 runs.
Talking about Virat, who recently broke Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record of 49 ODI centuries by scoring his 50th ton in the semi-final against New Zealand, Vengsarkar said: "When you see the skill level, the mental toughness of the players, there are only a few players who have gone on to achieve what he has in international cricket. Virat has been simply outstanding, the way he's played so far."
India will face Australia in the final of the 2023 World Cup on Sunday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match would start at 1.30 PM.
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