'He's a Players' Captain... Sometimes His Tactics Surprise the Coaches': Three Big Qualities of Rohit Sharma

Former India batting Vikram Rathore has pointed out the three best qualities in Rohit Sharma. The Indian captain indeed keeps forgetting things but when it comes to cricket, he is shrewd and tactically sound. That’s how Rathour described Rohit in a recent conversation with former Punjab batter Taruwar Kohli on the latter’s YouTube channel.

Rathour, who was part of the T20 World Cup winning side, praised Rohit’s leadership and batting skills, highlighting his deep understanding of the game and clear strategy. The former batting coach emphasised that Rohit has consistently led by example since becoming captain, both in performance and decision-making.

“The biggest quality is that he’s a phenomenal batter and is very clear about his game plan. He has to lead from the front so his own performance has to be top notch which he understands well.

“Rohit Sharma is a players’ captain, invested with the players heavily. I have never seen a captain who is so invested in team meetings & strategies – he spends a lot of time with team’s strategy – part of bowlers meeting, batting meeting – he invests a lot of time,” he added.

Rathour also highlighted Rohit’s tactical acumen, citing a key decision during the 2024 T20 World Cup final where he used Jasprit Bumrah’s overs early. The former India batting coach that sometimes Rohit’s tactics are surprising for the coaches but they often reveal his brilliance in hindsight.

“Thirdly, he is tactically very good. He knows what has to be done in a particular situation. For instance, he let Bumrah complete his spell before the death overs. A lot of people would have questioned that but that’s something that got us in a situation where we were required to defend 16 runs in 6 balls which eventually, turned difficult for South Africa to chase.

“Sometimes, his tactics surprise the coaches but they make a lot of sense when ultimately things pan out,” Rathour said.

“He might forget whether he has decided to bat or bowl at the toss, or his phone and iPad in the team bus but he never forgets his gameplan. He is very good at it and is a very shrewd tactician,” he added.