Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma’s journey to cricketing stardom is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. Rohit, who is now taking India to new heights, had a rocky start to his international career, marked by struggles and missed opportunities.
The right-handed batsman was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007, but consistency was not on his side. Despite his flashes of brilliance, Rohit failed to cement his place in the Indian team and was surprisingly left out of the squad that won the 2011 ODI World Cup.
Aakash Chopra explains how the 2011 World Cup snub fueled Rohit Sharma’s transformation into a legend
This exclusion was a huge blow, and even the Indian captain admitted as much. But Rohit Sharma used it as fuel to reinvent himself, according to Aakash Chopra. The disappointment of missing out on the 2011 ODI World Cup clearly lit a flame in him, as his courage and perseverance transformed his career.
In 2013, Rohit’s career took a dramatic turn when legendary captain MS Dhoni entrusted him with the responsibility of opening the innings for India during the ICC Champions Trophy. It was a decision that changed his destiny forever.
By opening the game with the explosive Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma not only cemented his place in the Indian cricket team but also began to forge his legacy as one of the most prolific opening batsmen the game has ever seen in white-ball cricket.
All thanks to Dhoni, Rohit’s reinvention as an opener led him to dominate bowling attacks across the world, eventually earning him a place among the all-time greats. Today, he carries the weight of millions of expectations on his shoulders as Indian captain.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra recalled Rohit’s early career, saying that he struggled to convert starts into big scores and faced a major setback in 2011 when he was left out of the ODI World Cup squad.
The opening gave Rohit Sharma the freedom to play his natural game: Aakash Chopra
The cricket expert further pointed out that the real game-changer came in 2013 when Rohit Sharma started opening alongside Dhawan in the ICC Champions Trophy. Aakash Chopra said that the opener’s role allowed the Hitman to play with more freedom and marked the beginning of his rise to become one of the most prolific limited-overs openers.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Rohit’s initial years in international cricket were like a rollercoaster ride. His talent was evident but he could not convert his early days into big scores. He had a major setback in 2011 when Rohit was left out of the ICC World Cup squad. It was a devastating moment for Rohit. A pivotal moment in Rohit Sharma’s career was when he opened with Shikhar Dhawan in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.”
Chopra further noted, “Opening gave him the freedom to play his natural game, and Rohit’s career started taking off from there. Rohit entered the golden phase of his career after 2013. Rohit became the most prolific batsman in limited-overs cricket. He was renowned for his ability to play long innings and accelerate. Rohit’s ability to change gears during his innings has become legendary.”
