Recently Aakash Chopra explained how Rohit Sharma’s exclusion in the 2011 World Cup fueled his transformation into a legend. This exclusion was a significant blow, and even the Indian skipper admitted the same. But Rohit Sharma used it as fuel to reinvent himself, according to Aakash Chopra.
Fast forward to 2013 and Rohit’s career took a dramatic turn when he was handed the responsibility of opening the innings for India during the ICC Champions Trophy. The heartbreak of missing out on the ODI World Cup in 2011 clearly lit a fire in him as his grit and perseverance transformed his career.
Opening with explosive Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma not only cemented his place in the Indian cricket team but began crafting his legacy as one of the most prolific opening batters the game has ever seen.
Meanwhile former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra recalled Rohit’s early career, saying he struggled to convert starts into big scores and faced a major setback in 2011 when he was left out of the ODI World Cup squad.
Opening gave Rohit Sharma the freedom to play his natural game: Aakash Chopra. The cricket pundit further noted that the real game-changer came in 2013 when Rohit Sharma began opening alongside Dhawan in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Aakash Chopra said that the opener’s role allowed the Hitman to play more freely, and it marked the beginning of his rise to becoming one of the most prolific limited-over openers.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Rohit’s starting years in international cricket were like a rollercoaster. His talent was evident, but he couldn’t convert his starts into big scores. He had a big setback in 2011 when Rohit was left out of the ICC World Cup squad. It was a devastating moment for Rohit. A pivotal moment in Rohit Sharma’s career was when he was opening with Shikhar Dhawan in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.”
Chopra further said that opening gave him the freedom to play his natural game, and Rohit’s career started soaring from there. He also talked about how Rohit entered the golden phase of his career after 2013.
