"A giant in the white-ball game": Ravi Shastri's ultimate praise for Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma and Ravi Shastri. Pics/PTI, AFP

Former India head coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri lavished praise on captain Rohit Sharma and branded him as a "giant in white-ball cricket."

Rohit has earned laurels in white-ball cricket, and his impressive tally speaks volumes about his prowess in limited-over cricket.

Also read: Now we have to move on: Rohit Sharma on T20 World Cup 2024 triumph

Rohit has garnered 14,846 runs, three double hundreds, 33 hundreds, and 87 fifties in ODIs and T20Is combined.

Apart from his mouth-watering tally, Rohit is a two-time ICC T20 World Cup (2007 and 2024) and ICC Champions Trophy winner. He also holds the record for most sixes in the shortest format.

"I think a giant in the white-ball game. One of the all-time greats. One of the best who have ever played. Will walk into any white-ball team they pick, irrespective of the era. Just because of the dynamic ability he has at the top," Shastri said in ICC Review.

"The thing with Rohit Sharma is he plays the big shots, he scores quickly, but they're all cricketing shots. What amazes me, there's not an element of sloppiness. I mean, it just shows how much time he has on his hands to play the best and the power - people forget that this man is explosive. He's got power," he added.

Rohit's impactful performance in the opening slot has seen him rack up the joint-most T20I centuries (five) alongside Australia's dynamic all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

Shastri believes the key aspect that sets Rohit apart from the others is his explosiveness. His approach against the short ball is one of his trademark shots, but his ability to overwhelm the spinners completes him.

"Just see the scores in that period of time. Three double hundreds in the one-day game. He's got hundreds in T20 cricket. Compared to Virat Kohli, you know, Virat Kohli is more finesse, he starts along the ground. This man is explosive. He's got the power to clear any ground in the world and take on the fast bowlers. He's got the shots for the quicks, and he can destroy spin as well," Shastri noted.

Rohit will return to action for India after the T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo.

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