World Cup 2019: Why Rohit Sharma is extremely crucial to India's campaign

He just caresses the cricket ball with poise and elegance, and transfers the weight on either foot with ease. Batting seems so fluid and easy when he is at his best.

Rohit Sharma has been bestowed with supreme talent, and he oozes class on the cricket field. In the last five years, Rohit has emerged as one of India’s biggest match winners, along with the legendary Virat Kohli. Since he has been promoted to the opener's slot, Rohit has shown the world what he is capable of.

In the 121 innings that he has opened for India, ‘The HitMan’, has plundered 6043 runs at an average of 56.48, with an impressive strike rate of 91.51. He has also scored 20 hundreds opening the innings for India, and has provided several flying starts to the team at the top of the order.

Moreover, the Rohit Sharma-Shikhar Dhawan duo has emerged as the second most successful Indian opening pair ever in ODIs, behind only the legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. In the 101 innings that these two have opened the batting together, they have scored 4541 runs at an average of 45.41, with as many as 15 century partnerships between them.

Dhawan’s audacious stroke play, combined with the class of Rohit, make them the greatest opening pair of the modern era.

Rohit is just 32 years old, and has already scored over 8000 runs in ODIs. He is the only batsman in history to smash three double hundreds in ODI cricket, a feat that may never be replicated. If his fitness holds, Rohit can play for another 5 years. And if he can continue in the same vein, he can smash several records by the time he walks into the sunset.

As India gear up for Cricket World Cup 2019, Rohit will be an extremely vital cog of the batting set up. A lot will depend on the starts that he and Dhawan provide at the top of the order. If Rohit can get his eye in, he can turn out to be an absolute nightmare for the bowlers.

India have heavily relied on the contribution of their top 3 in the last couple of years, and this World Cup will be no different. Rohit is as important to the Indian batting lineup as Kohli is. That's because Rohit has the ability to turn a match on its head, and possesses the rare gift of clearing the ropes with effortless grace.

A lot will depend on Rohit’s form if India are to last the distance and lift the coveted World Cup trophy for the third time. Time will tell whether he delivers.

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