Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Arun Dhumal hailed Team India's bench strength, highlighting 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's talent. He also lauded "greats" Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their class, conviction, and hard work.
Dhumal believes 'Ro-Ko' is here to stay in the 50-over format and also appreciated Hitman Rohit's batting masterclass in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia, during which he was awarded the Player of the Series.
Ro-Ko shook off the rust and lack of rhythm of the first two ODIs, which were lost, launching a full-blown assault on Australian bowlers during a successful chase of 237 runs in the third ODI. The 'Hitman' slammed an unbeaten 121*, while Virat made a return to form with a rock-solid, risk-free 74*.
"We've been talking about this bench strength of the Indian team for a long, long time. But look at this team, a 14-year-old wonder, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, he's knocking at the door to be part of the team. And then you have these greats like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who people think are going, but they are not going. They are here to stay," Dhumal told ANI in an exclusive chat.
"And the way Rohit has shown his class in this ODI series, at that age, coming as player of the match in the final match and then player of the series, that shows the kind of conviction that they carry, the kind of hard work that they put in. When it comes to Team India, they will want to give it their best. And that is the true reflection of a sportsman. And my best wishes to both of them. They have done wonderful. They have given their life to Indian cricket."
The Australia series was a story that highlighted Rohit's immense grit, determination and match-winning abilities. From overcoming a rusty single-digit score at Perth to grinding it out to produce a valuable 97-ball 73 while not playing his natural at Adelaide to firing a stormy 121* in 125 balls at Sydney, the 'Hitman' experienced it all in this 202-run series and showed the world that he still has his eyes on the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup and all fitness and cricketing goals would be ticked no matter what.
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