'No better captain than Rohit Sharma,' says Akash Deep
What's the story
Amid recent criticism of Test captain Rohit Sharma, Indian cricketer Akash Deep has come out in his staunch support of the latter.
Despite a string of poor results in recent matches, Deep is still convinced that there is "no better captain than Rohit bhai." He said this in an interview with The Times of India.
Notably, Rohit has been under a downward spiral in terms of his captaincy and batting.
Leadership defense
Deep defends Rohit's leadership
Rohit's captaincy has been under the scanner after a series of questionable calls, which have been widely criticized.
These include overusing Jasprit Bumrah, resulting in his injury in Sydney, and playing two spinners each in Melbourne and Sydney.
Despite the criticism, Deep continues to defend his captain, saying Rohit is "the best leader in the world."
Captain's approach
Deep credits Rohit for his calm and supportive approach
Deep, who replaced Harshit Rana in the Playing XI during the Brisbane and Melbourne matches, has lauded Rohit's style of captaincy.
He noted that the captain keeps things simple and doesn't pressurize newcomers unnecessarily.
Even when things don't go their way, Rohit asks them to work hard and assures them of his support.
Captain's support
Deep hails Rohit as the backbone of bowling unit
Deep further stressed on Rohit's role as a support, especially for the bowling unit.
He revealed that Rohit always says, "Tu aise daal, agar ye karega to aise hoga. Tu daal, main hoon na" (Bowl like this; if he reacts a certain way, I'll handle it).
Rohit's this approach has been termed invaluable by Deep.