While Rohit Sharma’s leadership has been impressive so far, former India international Saba Karim believes the newly appointed all-format captain needs to come to the party with the bat in hand as well. According to Karim, Rohit must come up with a substantial score in the D/N Test against Sri Lanka, starting March 12.
Rohit missed out against the visitors in the first Test in Mohali, also his first as new full-time Test match skipper, getting out against the run of play after a brisk 29 off 28 balls on Day 1. It was his only knock in India’s innings & 222 runs victory.
But prior to that, Sharma missed out during the limited-overs series against West Indies and Sri Lankans last month. Karim thinks while form is not an issue at all with the elegant opener, it is time he produced a big knock and stamp his authority on the proceedings as India’s new skipper.
“It will be very important for Rohit Sharma to perform with the bat. He has led very well but you become a good or a great captain with the support of the team.
He needs to contribute personally as well and keep adding value to the team. So yes, the next Test will be a challenge for him,”
he said on the Khelneeti Podcast.
Rohit was making a mini-comeback to Tests with the first game of the series in Mohali after resting the two-match series in November against New Zealand and missing out on the tour of South Africa due to a hamstring injury.
The 34-year-old has been a Test cricketer transformed ever since he began opening the innings back in October 2019. In this timeframe, Rohit has recorded 1,491 runs at an astonishing average of 57.34 with five hundreds and four half-centuries.
Rohit’s success as an opener hasn’t been limited to home conditions as he top-scored for India in the Pataudi Trophy in England last year. Hitting his maiden overseas Test century at The Oval, he made 368 runs in the series at an average of 52.57.
