Cricket World Cup: 'Improved' stroke-maker Rohit Sharma faces Pakistan hurdle

India skipper Rohit Sharma has come a long way since he made his debut in international cricket in 2007. The India captain, who played his first ODI against Ireland on June 23, 2007, was dropped for the 2011 World Cup. He has since improved his shot-making and an array of shots at his possession, including his pull shot. Writes ETV Bharat's Nikhil Bapat

Hyderabad: All eyes will be on Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who is in the form of his life, when India takes on Pakistan in the World Cup league game on Saturday, at the Narendra Modi Stadium here. The India captain made a blistering 131 in the last game against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi. The India captain, who has over 10,000 ODI runs, has improved his shot selection and now possesses an array of weapons in his arsenal.

Be it pull, cut, flick, or a straight drive, Rohit now has a range of shots, which he uses to pummel the opposition attack to submission. Former India player and cricket manager Lalchand Rajput, who had seen a young Rohit Sharma in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, which India won, attributes the improvement in shot selection to the T20 format.

"The T20 (format) has made a lot of players improve their shot selection and they become more positive. Rohit Sharma had the skill level, he had a lot of time and he has improved his shot selection," Rajput told ETV Bharat over the phone from Zimbabwe.

"His shot selection has been more consistent. That is the reason why he has got three double hundreds in ODI cricket, big scores in Test cricket, and even in T20 cricket, he has got a hundred. It is important as a batter you (got) to keep on improving, making an effort to improve your shot selection, the areas where you need to improve upon, because you have got to be a versatile cricketer. You cannot play on one side, you need to play the pull shot, the lofted shot, which he has mastered it tremendously," Rajput, himself a domestic bulwark, explained.

Rohit Sharma, who was coached by Dinesh Lad, now uses the pull shot and the loft shot, while he plunders sixes and fours at will. Dinesh Lad said Rohit Sharma has given a lot of time to cricket and so his development has taken place. "In 2009, and 2011, it was Rohit Sharma's bad patch, he did not give enough time for cricket. It was shocking for him to be left out of the World Cup. But after that when I made him understand, he started giving more time to cricket and the results can be seen," said Lad, who has also coached India all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

According to Lad, Rohit was asked to open by former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2013 Champions Trophy and that boosted his confidence.
Rohit, who has won six IPL Trophies (Five with Mumbai Indians and one with now-defunct Deccan Chargers), is yet to win an ICC Trophy. On Saturday, by winning against Pakistan, he would like to inch closer to his dream.