Ravi Shastri Praises Rohit Sharma as a Giant in White-Ball Cricket
Former India head coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri has praised captain Rohit Sharma, calling him a ‘giant in white-ball cricket.’ Rohit has achieved remarkable success in limited-over cricket, amassing 14,846 runs, three double hundreds, 33 hundreds, and 87 fifties in ODIs and T20Is combined.
Rohit is a two-time ICC T20 World Cup (2007 and 2024) and ICC Champions Trophy winner. He also holds the record for the most sixes in T20 cricket. Shastri said, ‘I think a giant in the white-ball game. One of the all-time greats. One of the best who have ever played. Will walk into any white-ball team they pick, irrespective of the era. Just because of the dynamic ability he has at the top.’
Shastri added, ‘The thing with Rohit Sharma is he plays the big shots, he scores quickly, but they’re all cricketing shots. What amazes me, there’s not an element of sloppiness. I mean, it just shows how much time he has on his hands to play the best and the power – people forget that this man is explosive. He’s got power.’
Rohit’s performance in the opening slot has seen him rack up the joint-most T20I centuries (five) alongside Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. Shastri believes Rohit’s explosiveness sets him apart from others. ‘Just see the scores in that period of time. Three double hundreds in the one-day game. He’s got hundreds in T20 cricket. Compared to Virat Kohli, you know, Virat Kohli is more finesse, he starts along the ground. This man is explosive. He’s got the power to clear any ground in the world and take on the fast bowlers. He’s got the shots for the quicks, and he can destroy spin as well,’ Shastri noted.
Rohit will return to action for India after the T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo.
Doubts Revealed
Ravi Shastri -: Ravi Shastri is a former Indian cricketer and was the head coach of the Indian cricket team. He is known for his contributions to Indian cricket both as a player and a coach.
Rohit Sharma -: Rohit Sharma is an Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian cricket team in limited-overs formats. He is famous for his powerful batting and has many records in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 Internationals (T20Is).
White-ball cricket -: White-ball cricket refers to limited-overs cricket matches, like ODIs and T20Is, where a white ball is used instead of the traditional red ball. These matches are usually shorter and more fast-paced.
ODIs -: ODIs stand for One Day Internationals, a format of cricket where each team plays a fixed number of overs, usually 50. The game is completed in one day.
T20Is -: T20Is stand for Twenty20 Internationals, a format of cricket where each team plays 20 overs. These matches are shorter and usually last about three hours.
Double hundreds -: Double hundreds mean scoring 200 or more runs in a single innings. It is a rare and significant achievement in cricket.
ICC T20 World Cup -: The ICC T20 World Cup is an international cricket championship of Twenty20 cricket. It is organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and features teams from around the world.
ICC Champions Trophy -: The ICC Champions Trophy is another major international cricket tournament organized by the ICC. It features the top cricketing nations and is considered very prestigious.
Glenn Maxwell -: Glenn Maxwell is an Australian cricketer known for his aggressive batting style. He shares the record for most centuries in T20 Internationals with Rohit Sharma.
Colombo -: Colombo is the capital city of Sri Lanka. It is a major city where many international cricket matches are held.
