Tennis-ball cricket honed Rohit Sharma's pull shots: His childhood coach
What's the story
Dinesh Lad, the childhood coach of Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, has praised the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL).
The ISPL is a national platform to showcase young talent in tennis-ball cricket.
Now in its second season, the league has caught the attention of many and is all set to enter the playoff stage at Thane's Dadoji Kondadev Stadium.
Lad described how tennis-ball cricket honed Rohit's famous pull shot.
Coach's perspective
Lad lauds ISPL's role in nurturing young cricketers
Lad, a former cricketer and recipient of the prestigious Dronacharya Award, has lauded the ISPL for nurturing young cricketers.
He said tennis-ball cricket is an integral part of a player's early development.
"The league has been very exciting so far," Lad said in a statement released by ISPL. He also wished that such a league had existed during his time.
Training insights
Tennis-ball cricket: A crucial training tool for budding cricketers
Lad stressed on the significance of tennis-ball cricket as a training tool, saying it helps players hone their skills.
"Tennis-ball cricket is vital for the growth of a cricketer," he said.
He added that most cricketers start their journey with a tennis ball, which can even be used during the rainy season to work on shots like pull-shots.
Early days
Lad reflects on Rohit's early training with tennis ball
Reflecting on Rohit's early training, Lad revealed that the Indian skipper used to practice with a wet tennis ball.
He believes this unique method contributed significantly to Rohit's ability to play straight and pull shots.
"The way Rohit plays straight shots and then pull shots, I think it was his practice with a tennis ball that helped him better his shots," Lad said.
Information
Rohit's famous back-foot strokes
Rohit is arguably the best exponents of pull and hook shots across formats. His back-foot technique has resulted into plenty of runs for him. The Indian skipper is also one of the best timers of cricket ball.