By Aayush Pathak 13 Nov 2023, 10:34 IST
After India’s commanding win over the Netherlands in the CWC 23, former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram showered praise on Rohit Sharma, declaring him superior to cricket giants Kohli, Root, Williamson, and Babar Azam.
“I don’t think there is anyone like Rohit Sharma in the World cricket. We talk about emperor Kohli (Virat), Joe Root, Williamson (Kane), Babar Azam but this guy is different. He makes batting look so easy. No matter what the situation is, the bowling attack is, he plays his shots with ease. He changes the tempo of the game. Bowlers and oppositions are on the back foot from ball one,” said Akram on A Sports.
Akram drew parallels between Sharma’s batting finesse and the legendary Inzamam-ul-Haq, emphasizing Rohit’s impact on the game.
“Like Inzamam, Rohit too has a lot of time against the pacers. His hand-eye coordination is so natural,” added Akram.
Akram lauded Sharma’s ability to make batting look easy, regardless of the situation or the bowling attack.
“Rohit and Gill put on 91 runs in 10 overs. The game was over then only. I don’t think there is anyone like Rohit Sharma in the World cricket. We talk about emperor Kohli (Virat), Joe Root, Williamson (Kane), Babar Azam but this guy is different. He makes batting look so easy. No matter what the situation is, the bowling attack is, he plays his shots with ease. He changes the tempo of the game. Bowlers and oppositions are on the back foot from ball one,” Akram said on A Sports.
Rohit Sharma’s phenomenal six-hitting prowess reached new heights as he broke the record for the most sixes in a calendar year. With 60 sixes in 2023, he surpassed AB de Villiers’ 2015 record. Additionally, India achieved a collective record for hitting the most sixes in a calendar year in ODIs.
Backing Akram’s sentiments, cricketer Shoaib Malik echoed the view that Rohit Sharma treats all bowlers with the same intensity.
“Rohit is that kind of a batter, who will go at all the five bowlers of the opposition team. Rest what Wasim bhai has spoken about the other batters, they will not go against the all five, they sometime wait for the part-timers as well, but not Rohit,” said Malik.
Malik emphasized that Rohit is the kind of batter who takes on all five bowlers of the opposition team, showcasing consistency and fearlessness in his approach.
Rohit Sharma’s leadership and batting prowess continued to set records as he surpassed Sourav Ganguly’s record for the most runs by an Indian captain in a single ODI World Cup. With his 55th ODI half-century, Rohit crossed the 500-run mark, establishing himself as the first India skipper to achieve this feat.
As India advances to the semi-finals, they are set to face New Zealand on Wednesday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The cricketing world eagerly awaits Rohit Sharma’s next display of mastery as India aims for a spot in the CWC 23 finals.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Recommended to you