Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa said that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has picked up a lot of nuances of captaincy from legendary wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni, added his touch to it and made it his own.
He also said that nonchalance is the way of life for the star batter.
Ahead of the TATA IPL 2024 which begins on March 22, Live and Exclusive on JioCinema, experts Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Robin Uthappa and England's Eoin Morgan discussed the legacy of Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians captain in an episode of Legends Lounge titled 'Captain Rohit's Legacy'.
Notably, all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to captain Mumbai Indians (MI), replacing their five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy-winning skipper Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season of the cash-rich league.
He returned to his former franchise Gujarat Titans just last year after leading them to the trophy in their debut season back in 2022.
Speaking about Rohit, Robin said, "We must also remember that he had been a part of Deccan Chargers that had won the IPL in 2009. He had a feeling of what it takes to win. He was an integral part of that side as well. One thing about Rohit is that he is a very self-assured person. Nonchalance is a way of life for him. As a leader, he picked up a lot of nuances from MS (Dhoni). But he has added his touch to it and made it his own. He is not scared to show his emotions on the field. It is very unique to Rohit. It is only something that he does."
Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan also said that Rohit is very "intense" but yet casual.
"Being casual makes him approachable. But he is very intense when he is going about his business and preparing. That is something that works in his favour brilliantly. He has a very good tactical understanding of the game," said Zaheer.
Former England skipper Eoin Morgan, who won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 with Three Lions at home, said that Rohit's "authentic passion" separates him from others.
"He has his ways of manipulating the pace of the game. He has made analysis a cornerstone for the team he is leading. He has always found the right balance in the team whether he is in or out of form," said Morgan.
