Former Indian cricketer and IPL governing council member Pragyan Ojha recalled one of his initial conversations with the Indian captain Rohit Sharma, highlighting the inspiring journey of the Indian skipper.
For the unversed, Ojha and Rohit share a great bond with each other. Both the players knew each other right from their age-group cricket days and went on to play for Deccan Chargers in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2008.
Pragyan revealed how Rohit came from a humble background and made it big at the international level. Ojha revealed Rohit got emotional when he discussed his background and the struggle for buying kits during his initial days in competitive cricket. Ojha and Rohit played together at Deccan Chargers before the former went on to play for Mumbai Indians.
Pragyan Ojha Revealed Rohit Sharma’s Struggle
Later, both the cricketers joined hands at Mumbai Indians too, and were a part of the winning squads in 2013 and 2015.
In an interview, Ojha recalled his first meeting with Rohit at a U-15 national camp. He also recalled how there was so much chatter about the talent that the then-Mumbai teenager possessed. He revealed:
“When I first met Rohit in the U-15 national camp, everyone said he was a very special player. There, I played against him and took his wicket. Rohit was a typical Bombay guy who didn’t speak much but was aggressive when he played. In fact, I was very surprised as to why he was being so aggressive with me when we didn’t know each other! But after that our friendship began to grow,”
He added: “He was from a middle-class family and I remember he once got emotional when we discussed how his budget for cricket kits was restricted. In fact, he also delivered milk packets – of course that was really a long time ago – so that he could buy his kit. Now when I see him, I feel very proud of how our journey started and where we reached,”
While Rohit made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2007, however, he struggled to cement his place in the squad. While he struggled to get going in international cricket but he shone in the inaugural T20 World Cup.
Rohit struggled to cement his spot in the ODI side but his career changed for the good following he began to open the innings in the 50-over format of the game. Ever since then, Rohit has scored 9825 runs, including 30 hundred in the ODI format.
Furthermore, Pragyan Ojha hailed Rohit’s ability to keep the mood in the dressing room light making him a likable character. He said:
“Till the time Rohit got a chance to play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy we had just known each other. But our friendship grew when we came to a common point. He was a good mimic and I really like people who can play pranks, and Rohit is among them.”
He added: “We used to feel the pressure of representing India at the U-19 level. So, whenever he saw that I was feeling the heat, he would mimic something that would release the tension and there was laughter all around,”
Meanwhile, Ojha’s statements regarding Rohit’s struggle triggered a hilarious meme fest on social media.
Check out some of the best memes we found on Twitter:
Rohit Sharma according to PRagyan Ojha https://t.co/hjQW2CxV00 pic.twitter.com/x0ySY45cSW
— Pushkar (@musafir_hu_yar) March 28, 2023
