Sports Part 8

IND vs SA - Jasprit Bumrah’s High Praise for Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy, Says “In Previous World Cups…”

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has heaped praise on captain Rohit Sharma, describing the 37-year-old as outstanding. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma is currently the third-highest run-scorer, having amassed 248 runs at a strike rate of 155.97 in seven matches. In a video posted on the ICC’s official Instagram account, Bumrah mentioned that Rohit was very proactive in the previous ODI World Cup 2023 and gave his players a lot of freedom.

“Rohit Sharma has been absolutely phenomenal. Even in the previous World Cup, he has been proactive, giving a lot of freedom to his players and allowing them to express themselves. When he feels it’s the right time, he shares his own experience during the match. So, it feels really great, and I feel very happy playing under him. The confidence of the group is also very high,” Bumrah said.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain also expressed his admiration for Rohit Sharma, praising his batting and leadership skills. Hussain described Rohit as having a calming influence and compared him to an “iron fist in a velvet glove.”

“I have been a fan of Rohit for a very long time, as a batter, as a captain, and as a person. He seems to have a very calming influence. While other captains, like Virat, wore their heart on their sleeves and were incredibly passionate, Rohit is like an iron fist in a velvet glove. You don’t mess around with Rohit, but he is also like a big brother who will put his arm around you and look after you,” Hussain said.

India and South Africa have had contrasting journeys in the tournament. Rohit Sharma’s team has dominated every opponent they have faced, including strong teams like Australia, Pakistan, and England.

On the other hand, South Africa has had a more challenging path, often narrowly escaping defeat. They faced tough competition from Bangladesh and Nepal in the group stage. In their final Super 8 game against co-hosts West Indies, they almost faced elimination while chasing a revised target of 123.

India Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)