Rohit Sharma received a lot of praise for his captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Eliminator match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While defending a moderate total of 182, Rohit displayed skilful handling of bowlers and MI eventually won it by 81 runs.
Sunil Gavaskar has now praised Rohit Sharma, stating that he feels Rohit is an underrated captain in the IPL. He, according to Gavaskar, doesn’t receive as much credit as MS Dhoni. Gavaskar specifically highlighted Rohit’s strategic on-field decisions that have contributed to Mumbai Indians’ success, citing their recent victory over LSG in the IPL 2023 Eliminator.
Despite a lacklustre start to the IPL 2023 season, where Mumbai Indians lost four of their first seven matches and found themselves languishing in the bottom half of the points table, they made an impressive comeback. The team rallied, winning five of their next seven games to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar highlighted Rohit’s decision to change Akash Madhwal’s bowling angle while dismissing Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran in the same over. Gavaskar remarked that such changes in angle are not often discussed at length, but if it were Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with Dhoni as captain, it would have been widely acknowledged as a strategic move.
“If that had been CSK and Dhoni was the captain. Everybody would have said ‘Dhoni plotted Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal. This is what happens to a great extend. There is also a little bit of hype, things sometimes work out,” India Today quoted him as saying. “Of course, he is underrated. The man has won five titles for Mumbai Indians.”
Furthermore, Gavaskar commended Sharma’s decision to include Nehal Wadhera as an Impact Substitute during Mumbai Indians’ innings. The move paid dividends as Wadhera’s explosive knock of 23 runs off just 12 balls provided crucial late impetus to Mumbai Indians’ batting effort, helping them post a winning total of 182.
Gavaskar emphasised the need to acknowledge Rohit’s contributions as a captain, citing his decision-making skills and the innovative use of Impact Substitutes. He urged fans and pundits to recognize Rohit’s captaincy prowess, highlighting his role in Mumbai Indians’ record five IPL titles.
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Updated: 26 May 2023, 11:57 AM IST
