I want this boy in the junior team: How Dilip Sardesai reacted after seeing Rohit Sharma's clean-hitting at a Mumbai maidan

Vice-captain Rohit Sharma is currently preparing for the Indian cricket team's tour of Australia. The Mumbai-based batsman is popularly known as 'The Hitman' for his aggressive batting performances at the top of the order. Recently, Sharma became the first player to win the IPL five times as a captain.

While Rohit Sharma is an established name now, former Indian batsman Dilip Sardesai noticed him at a Mumbai maidan as a talent scout almost 14 years ago.

In an exclusive chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda's Facebook page, Sardesai's son Rajdeep recalled when his father rang him to inform about the extraordinary player from Mumbai.

When Dilip Sardesai spotted a teenage Rohit Sharma at a Mumbai maidan

Sharing the details of how his father once saw Rohit Sharma at a ground in Mumbai, Rajdeep Sardesai said:

"He was a very good talent scout. I think, in 2006 or something, he rang me up once saying, 'I have seen a superb stroke player.' So, I said, 'What happened?' He said, 'No, no, I was at the maidan and this boy was just hitting the ball beautifully and naturally.' Then I found out he was talking about Rohit Sharma."

"He had seen Rohit Sharma as a teen. He immediately rang up the head of the junior team selectors and told him I want this boy in the junior team. I have a lovely photograph of him showing Rohit Sharma how to keep his elbow up and how to make sure to leave the ball outside the off-stump," Rajdeep Sardesai continued.

Hit the gym like it’s a short ball pic.twitter.com/o5vuVT9QOD

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) September 1, 2020

Lastly, the veteran journalist stated that Mumbai's legacy of having good talent scouts is slowly fading. He felt that only Dilip Vengasarkar and a few others visited the local grounds. However, other experienced names did not go out hunting for new players in the city.