'Hit-Man' to 'Captain' Sharma: Mix of instincts and percentages

As a fulltime threeformat national captain Rohit Sharma has started his journey on a bright note Eleven games across formats 6 T20Is 3 ODIs and 2 Tests isnt a big sample size to judge someone but big enough to be hopeful that the future would be good As a leader so far Rohit is not just a Run Machine but is also showing himself to be tactically astute At the same time he also seems to know quite well that one needs to have a backup plan and groom the next set for the futureThe difference between victor and vanquished in sport is about minor percentages and the foundation of Rohits leadership style is based on that I always try to analyse an upcoming game situation based on probability of it happening I try to factor in percentages of a certain situation and the decision is based on what I feel is the maximum probability the skipper said after winning his maiden Test series as captain against Sri Lanka on MondayRanji Trophy where most teams still play for first innings lead isnt a good breeding ground for proactive captains save some domestic stalwarts like Ashok Mankad or a Bishan Singh Bedi who were very different So Rohit himself didnt have a reference for how to lead in a format in which parameters arent finite like whiteball games where he has already aced the leadership partBut there are certain inherent basics of captaincy and the most important is instinct One might have collated 100 hours of data practised situations for a thousand hours but still things can change During the Sri Lanka series Rohit showed he is ready for those scenarios I rely a lot on my instincts on specific match situations Its like being in the moment and thinking on your feet Whats right at that particular time what can work what cant work On how opposition is playing Its a mix of everything Eventually some are correct and some will be wrong he saidThat the Mumbai Indians captaincy has turned him into a good Man Manager was understandable when he spoke about support from senior members of the side for those who are finding their space I have got a lot of help from the seniors and some of them have good understanding of situations And then comes my understanding of situations he said without taking names Similarly he would always make it a point to mention the axed duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahanes contribution in making what has become a solid Test teamBut when he praises Shreyas Iyers game sense and maturity and admits that the player grabbed it really well and made it count one knows he is trying to get a move on and put the jigsaw puzzle pieces in their place At 34 one cant guarantee how long Rohit would want to lead four teams three national and one IPL In the post COVID19 world and faced with life in biobubbles frequently even if one takes a break monotony can creep in and while he isnt going anywhere till the 2023 World Test Championship cycle is complete one does get an inkling that he is handholding and grooming Rishabh Pant for the leadership roleChairman of selectors Chetan Sharma has already earmarked Pant among future leaders and expects Rohit to groom those shortlisted He never said in as many words that he is preparing Pant but the endearing manner in which he speaks makes it obvious that he can relate to the 24yearold man from Rourkee Someone who is equally talented and audacious like he was when he burst into the scene 15 years back Someone who was feted and pilloried in equal measure during those years when talent seemed more like an abuse rather than a complimentRemember support staffs analogy of careless and fearless during earlier coaching staffs regime Well Rohit ensured a welcome departure to that terminology He knows Pant comes as a package and he is ready to accept him as he is without trying to mould him into something that he is not And at the same time he wants to make him feel responsible I have made it very clear to Rishabh as to what I want with a DRS call certain aspects of the game that I have told him to look into you will not always be making right calls but thats absolutely okay with me he saidRishabh as keeper has the best view I ask him how much is it turning from where it is turning Is the batter lunging forward if so how much Is he defending If yes then is it straight defence or is it sideon defence He is a franchise captain and he has the idea Suggestions lena buri baat hai nahi Its not bad to get some suggestions As far as his batting is concerned he is getting better with gameplans There will be days we will scratch our heads but we know what comes with him the skipper said Sri Lanka was a trailer of Captain Sharmas command and the film is now eagerly anticipated in a World Cup yearThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever