"I am slightly against it" - Aakash Chopra on whether Rohit Sharma can play as a finisher

Aakash Chopra is not in favor of Rohit Sharma playing as a finisher in ODI cricket and wants him to continue opening for India.

Rohit batted at No. 9 in the second ODI against Bangladesh due to a thumb injury he sustained while attempting a catch in the first innings. He smoked an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls and almost won the game for the Men in Blue when they seemed down and out at one stage.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether we could see Rohit as a finisher for India at next year's World Cup considering his exploits in the second ODI against the Tigers. He replied in the negative, saying:

"I know this thinking has been floated slightly. There are two reasons for that. One is that we are slightly short of finishers and the other is that Rohit's form has not been that great for the last little while. I am slightly against it, that Rohit Sharma as a middle-order batter."

The former Indian opener wants the skipper to continue batting at the top of the order for the Men in Blue, reasoning:

"He is Rohit Sharma, he is the team's captain, plays as an opener, the day he plays he has the ability to score 150, 200 or 250. For me, Rohit as an opener in ODI cricket."

Rohit has played 148 of his 228 innings in ODI cricket as an opener. He has amassed 7436 runs, which includes 27 centuries, at an excellent average of 56.33 at the top of the order.

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"The day he fires he scores 200" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has not been at his fluent best in recent times.

Chopra highlighted that Rohit can take the game beyond the opposition on his day, elaborating:

"I have a problem with that because I have a player like Rohit Sharma. The day he fires he scores 200, no one has scored more double centuries than him in ODI cricket."

The renowned commentator feels the Mumbai batter cannot be optimally utilized down the order. He explained:

"In such a case if I send him down the order, No. 5 or No. 6, I am marginalizing my best player in ODI cricket, who is a runaway match-winner. That thinking is not right in my opinion."

While Rohit has three double centuries to his name in ODI cricket, he has not scored a hundred in almost three years. His last century was a 119-run knock against Australia in Bengaluru in January 2020.