Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has opened up on Rohit Sharma’s ideal role in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Chopra reckons Rohit will look to maximize the Powerplay overs in West Indies and New York as an opener.
Rohit has made a return to the T20I setup after a long gap of 14 months but it hasn’t been an ideal comeback for the Indian skipper. While Rohit was run out in the first T20I against Afghanistan without troubling the scorers, he was dismissed for a golden duck in the second game at Indore.
Meanwhile, Rohit was at his absolute best in the ODI World Cup 2023 and played a key role in giving solid starts at the top of the order. Rohit scored 597 runs in 11 matches of the World Cup 2023 at an average of 54.27 and a blistering strike rate of 125.95. The talisman scored three fifties and one century in the ODI showpiece.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “It will be extremely necessary to maximize the first six overs in West Indies and New York. As soon as the ball becomes slightly old and the field opens up, the ball will not come nicely onto the bat, and run-scoring will become slightly difficult.”
Chopra added that Indian openers – Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal – will have to make the most of the fielding restrictions.
“Then you will need power hitters in the end because the pitches will be like that. If you see from that perspective, you need to capitalize on the first six overs, and that’s where Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will try their best to do that.”
Rohit attempted a cross-batted pull on the first ball he faced against Fazalhaq Farooqi in the second game and Chopra feels the Indian opener was adopting an ultra-aggressive approach.
“The way Rohit batted in the first two matches, it seemed like he was adopting an ultra-aggressive mode, that he would try to hit every ball and do that without getting set.
“He got run out once. There, too, he hit Fazalhaq Farooqi after stepping out and got out off the first ball in Indore.”
Chopra backed Rohit to continue playing in an aggressive manner despite low returns in the first two games.
“You ask whether he will be seen batting slightly differently in Bengaluru.”I feel he will try to bat similarly. Rohit Sharma is at his very best when he is aggressive. He showed that by doing it consistently in the ODI World Cup as well. It made a difference in the end.”
The third and last T20I of the series between India and Afghanistan will be played at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday.
