The Week India – June 30, 2019

JUNE 30, 2019 • THE WEEK 95

cricket journey from close quarters.

“The last couple of years, captain-

ing Mumbai Indians and being in a

leadership role, has helped Rohit a

lot,” said Nayar. “There is a sense of

calmness in him now. Having won

four IPLs, there is a sense of self-be-

lief as to what it takes.... He is in a

zone where he is very happy, both as

a cricketer and an individual, and the

credit for that goes to his wife Ritika

[Sajdeh]. I guess every player has a

time and this is Rohit’s time.”

Rohit responded to the high praise,

ahead of the match against Australia.

“I think I have played more than 200

ODIs now,” he said. “If I do not do

it now, then when? So, experience

teaches you a lot of things, and that

is something that has come into my

He is in a zone where he is very happy, both

as a cricketer and an individual, and the

credit for that goes to his wife Ritika.

—Abhishek Nayar,

Former all-rounder and a close friend of Rohit

Having a a newly born daughter in

my life actually has put me in a good

space.... The focus was always to start

well and then see where the team is

heading and then the individual.”

He is a caring teammate, not just

because he is the deputy team lead-

er. It showed when he let his new

opening partner K.L. Rahul take first

strike against Pakistan—something

he would like to do himself. “For

me it was important to give him

that because he likes to take the

first ball,” said Rohit. “He is playing

his first game as an opener here, so

I wanted to make sure that he was

comfortable.” He exudes a laid-back

comfort and confidence sans the

edginess, which makes the younger

team members look up to him for

support and advice.

Rohit’s motto is team above self. “I

do not look into going past someone

or getting close to someone,” he said.

“As long as I am playing, I want to

make sure that I do the job for the

team. Whatever happens along the

way will keep happening. That is an

external reward for it.”

Possessing a wry sense of hu-

mour, he kept a straight face when

a Pakistan journalist asked him to

suggest how Pakistan batsmen could

improve. Like he does with bowlers,

he spotted early where the question

was headed and said, “I can only

tell this if I become the Pakistan

coach.” Once again, he had left the

room in splits.

timed or even innovative. His six over
point off Hassan Ali was reminiscent
of Sachin Tendulkar’s six off Shoaib
Akhtar during the India-Pakistan en-
counter in 2003 in Centurion, South
Africa. The hundred against Pakistan
was his 16th in the last three years.
Such has been his form.
This is only his second World Cup,
but he is, after M.S. Dhoni, the most
experienced player in the team,
having made his ODI debut in 2007.
The years 2017 and 2018 saw him
scoring more than 1,000 ODI runs
each. He is on a roll, considering the
first seven years of his ODI career
had only eight centuries
and were frustratingly
erratic. His talent was
always on display, but
he lacked consistency.
That has changed over the
last few years, as his big knocks have
eased the pressure on those like
Virat Kohli.
“Out of the world” is how former
India captain and chairman of
selectors Dilip Vengsarkar describes
Rohit’s batting. “He has matured.
He has been playing for years now
and is an experienced player. And,
I think [he is] one of the best in the
world,” said Vengsarkar. “The innings
he played [against Pakistan] was
outstanding. His [regular] open-
ing partner [Shikhar Dhawan] was
injured. The way he played showed
a lot of responsibility. He played his
shots and improvised later on.”
Former India player Sanjay Man-
jrekar said, “The Rohit Sharma that
used to play a wild shot and get out
after a promising start, leaving us
tearing our hair out, is long gone. He
is currently in a great mind space. It
shows also in his leadership of Mum-
bai Indians.”
Former all-rounder Abhishek
Nayar, who is a coach and mentor
of Kolkata Knight Riders, is one of
Rohit’s closest friends. Holidaying
with his wife in London, Nayar told
THE WEEK that he has seen Rohit’s

game, of late. You start the innings

for your team, and you want to

make sure that you you finish off

the innings as well. That gives you

immense pleasure.”

A lot of his success has to do with

the stability in his personal and pro-

fessional lives. He married Ritika, his

long-time manager and girlfriend, in

2015, and recently became a proud

father to Samaira. They are also

in England during the World Cup.

Nayar, who spent time with Rohit

and his family when the team was

in London, says Ritika has brought

immense stability to Rohit’s life and

a “lot of sanity”. “I think it is just the

space I am in right now,” said Rohit.

“It is a very good phase in my life.