(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar extolled Rohit Sharma for giving confidence to the players to that he thinks has helped them in playing their natural game.
Speaking on Star Sports, Bangar opined that Rohit’s backing has made the players tame their fears. As per Bangar, Rohit has given freedom to both batters and bowlers and this is what he believes is working in the favour of the team.
“If a player is hesitant to play his shots, then he will never be in a position to play according to his game plan. Rohit has encouraged them to play their shots, and told them at the most what’s going to happen is they are going to get out, nothing else,” Bangar said on Star Sports.
“And if it’s a bowler, the worst is probably he’ll go for a few extra runs. That helps the players to develop a mindset where one can tame their fears, and helps them play their natural game. So he gives them the advantage of believing in themselves, by giving them freedom and backing,” he added.
Citing the examples of Virender Sehwag and Rishabh Pant, Bangar stated that playing fearlessly is a double-edged sword, but if this process shifts the mindset, more match-winners will be developed.
“If one does get out playing bad shots in a couple of matches, it does hurt. Two players come to mind as the biggest example for this is Virender Sehwag. When he used to play his shots he looked fabulous, but he even got out playing unusual strokes. Rishabh Pant is also very similar. If that kind of mindset is developed amongst all players in the team, we’ll have not 2 or 3, but more than 5 match winners.”
With his batting, Rohit is leading from the front in terms of donning a fearless approach. In India’s last World Cup match against Afghanistan, the 36-year-old scored 131 runs off 84 deliveries at a strike-rate of 155.95. His whirlwind knock helped India complete a run-chase of 273 runs in 35 overs, giving a major boost to their Net Run Rate.