Rohit Sharma is one of the most destructive batsmen in limited-overs cricket. He is the only batsman to score more than one double-hundred in ODIs and for this reason, his fans call him ‘Hitman’ of Indian cricket.
In an interview, Rohit Sharma said that Dhoni’s decision to make him open in the 50-over format turned out to be a ‘career-changing’ decision for him. Rohit said that it was Dhoni’s trust on his abilities that gave him confidence and did so well in India at the top of the order in the series against England in 2013. Later, Rohit was instrumental for India at the top of the order in ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, which India won by beating home team England in the final.
“I believe the decision to open in ODIs changed my career and it was a decision taken by MS Dhoni. I became a better batsman after that. In fact it helped me understand my game better, react better according to situations,” Rohit Sharma told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“He (Dhoni) just came up to me and said ‘I want you to open the innings as I am confident that you will do well. Since you can play both cut and pull shot well, you have the qualities to succeed as an opener’,” Rohit added.
“He told me that I shouldn’t be scared of failures or get upset by criticism. He was looking at the bigger picture as the Champions Trophy was scheduled in England that year,” Rohit Sharma concluded.
