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Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has opined that Team Indian captain Rohit Sharma possesses unique skills with the willow. While stating that the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Babar Azam are spoken about a lot, he added that Rohit is different from all of them, comparing him to former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Kohli is currently the leading run-getter in the 2023 World Cup, with 594 runs in nine innings at an average of 99 and a strike rate of 88.52. Indian skipper Rohit is fourth on the list, with 503 runs at an average of 55.89 and a strike rate of 121.50.
Both Kohli (51 off 56) and Rohit (61 off 54) struck half-centuries as the Men in Blue thumped Netherlands by 160 runs in the last league game of the 2023 World Cup at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.
While discussing Team India’s batting performance in the match against the Netherlands, Akram said on A Sports:
“Rohit and Gill put on 91 runs in 10 overs. The game got was over then. The way they played, I don’t think there is anyone like Rohit Sharma in world cricket. We talk about emperor Kohli (Virat), Joe Root, Williamson (Kane) and 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,” the Pakistan legend added.
Comparing Rohit and former Pakistan captain Inzamam’s batting style, Akram commented:
“Like Inzamam, Rohit too has a lot of time against the pacers. His hand eye coordination is so natural.”
The Indian captain struck eight fours and two sixes in his knock on Sunday, adding 100 for the first wicket with Shubman Gill (51 off 32).
“Rohit will attack all five bowlers of the opposition team” - Shoaib Malik on Indian captain’s aggressive batting
During the discussion, veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik shared similar thoughts to Akram. Hailing the Indian opener, he described Rohit as someone who will take on all the opposition bowlers, without picking and choosing whom to attack.
“Rohit is that kind of a batter, who will attack all five bowlers of the opposition team. The other batters that Wasim bhai has spoken about, they will not go against the all five. They sometime wait for the part-timers as well, but not Rohit,” Malik commented.
After India’s top three registered fifties against Netherlands, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul slammed tons. India put up 410/4 and then bowled out the Dutch for 250.
