Rohit Sharma's batting style reminded me of Inzamam-ul-Haq: Yuvraj Singh
Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh recalled how Rohit Sharma rose to fame after making his debut. Yuvraj asserted that his gameplay reminded him of Inzamam-ul-Haq, during his early days. He believes Rohit has plenty of time to play his shots across all formats. Rohit, who has made truckload of runs in limited overs cricket, was the leading run-scorer in the 2019 World Cup (648).
Rohit was in limelight during the World T20 2007
Rohit made his international debut in 2007 (in an ODI against Ireland), but grabbed eyeballs in the inaugural World T20 later that year. His unbeaten 50 against South Africa propelled India to semi-finals of the tournament. "I think when he came into the Indian team, he looked like somebody who had a lot of time. He reminded me of Inzamam-ul-Haq," Yuvraj said.
Yuvraj speaks about the similarities
Yuvraj pointed out the similarity in the strokeplay of Rohit and Inzamam. Rightly so, both of them are renowned for their lazy elegance. Inzamam went on to score 11,739 runs in 378 ODIs, the highest by a Pakistan batsman in the format. Rohit, who is closing in on the 10,000-run mark, holds the record of highest individual ODI score (264).
Rohit had a patchy start to his international career
The stylish opener served occasional stints in the Indian squad, owing to his inconsistency. From his debut to 2013, Rohit could muster only 1,978 in 86 ODIs at an average of 30.43. The tally included only 2 tons and 12 fifties. He was dejected after missing out on selection for the ICC World Cup 2011. The 32-year-old averaged 29.50 in T20Is.
Dhoni promoted Rohit in the batting order in 2013
Amid a tough phase, MS Dhoni's decision to make him open transformed his career. Following the move, Rohit cemented his place in the Indian XI as an opener. His career has been a meticulous tale of two halves. Post 2013, the Indian opener has racked up 7,137 at 59.47. 27 out of his 29 ODI tons have been recorded during this phase.
