Rohit lauds Bumrah’s hard work Stand-in skipper up for the task
Dharamsala, Dec. 9: Jasprit Bumrah’s selection in the South Africabound Test squad is a lesson for all youngsters that hard work always pays off, said India’s stand-in limited overs skipper Rohit Sharma.
A limited overs regular, Bumrah earned his maiden call-up in the Indian Test team as the fifth specialist pacer, who is expected to add variety with his ability to bowl yorkers.
“It is a great boost for him (Burmrah) to be a part of the Test team. He is looking forward to it. For a while, he was wanting to be the part of the Test team. It is all the reward for what he has done in the ODI format and the T20 format,” Rohit said when asked to comment about his IPL teammate.
“And over the last year or so, how he has improved himself, on his bowling and fitness as well. It is a lesson for many cricketers that if you put in the hard yards, you will get rewarded. And Bumrah has been rewarded for the things he has done in the past few years,” Rohit was effusive in his praise.
Bumrah is considered as one of the most revered death bowlers in the world currently and his skipper feels it is his ability to come up with new strategies in difficult situation that makes him so successful.
“He has played with me for MI and I have only seen him grow every game. Every series that he has played he has come up new strategies, new plans. It is good to see he has matured as bowler now,” Rohit said.
“He understands what he needs to do and what team expects out of him. He is a very focussed guy, very disciplined in terms of his work ethics. This is what is giving him the results on the field.”
“He had a good month and a half time off and he went to NCA, worked on Dharamsala, Dec. 9: He has successfully led Mumbai Indians to a hat-trick of IPL titles and no wonder Rohit Sharma firmly insists that “basics of captaincy remain same” when one shifts from franchise to international cricket.
Rohit has led Mumbai Indians to IPL triumph in 2013, 2015 and 2017 and for the first time would be leading the national team.
Asked how different it will be from leading Mumbai Indians, Rohit said:”It will be completely a different ball game all together but the process and basics of captaincy will remain the same.”
“We have a different his body again and rejuvenated, he looks a lot fresher now. Hopefully, he can do the job for us what he has been doing in the past few months or so.”
In absence of regular captain Virat Kohli, Rohit has his job cut out — to instill confidence in the set of players than the IPL team but having played with these guys for some time now, I do understand their strengths and weaknesses. It will be all about going there and executing and making everyone comfortable,” Rohit added.
By his own admission, Rohit won’t change the template of his captaincy which has got him success over the years in IPL. “I don’t need to change anything. I just need to carry from where we left as a team and yes IPL and international cricket is completely different — the pressure and mindset of the players is absolutely different.” — PTI younger members of the side.
“It is important to give these guys fair amount of games before they prove themselves. It is important they get enough games and gain confidence,” said Rohit.
— PTI