‘Entered the golden phase of his career after 2013’ - Aakash Chopra reflects on Rohit Sharma’s cricketing journey

India captain Rohit Sharma had a topsy-turvy start to his international career. He was part of India’s T20 World Cup squad IN 2007, which the Men in Blue won but Rohit was never a regular in the national team. He was handed plenty of opportunities but due to lack of consistency, the Mumbai batter failed to make a permanent room for himself in the Indian team and was also left out from the ODI World Cup squad in 2011.

Recalling Rohit’s cricketing journey, former cricketer Aakash Chopra noted that not featuring in the 2011 World Cup must have hurt him. He noted that the now 37-year-old worked hard since then but it was in 2013 when Rohit’s career changed for good. The star batter was asked to open for India in the Champions Trophy 2013 alongside Shikhar Dhawan, which worked wonders as he not only cemented his place in the XI but went on to become a legend of the game.

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“Rohit's starting years in international cricket were like a rollercoaster. His talent was evident but he couldn't convert his starts into big scores. He had a big setback in 2011 when Rohit was left out of the ICC World Cup squad. It was a devastating moment for Rohit. A pivotal moment in Rohit Sharma's career was when he was opening with Shikhar Dhawan in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

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“Opening gave him the freedom to play his natural game and Rohit's career started soaring from there. Rohit entered the golden phase of his career after 2013. Rohit became the most prolific batter in limited-overs cricket. He was recognised for his ability to play long innings and accelerate. Rohit's ability to shift gears during his innings has become legendary,” the former India opener added.

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Meanwhile, in 2021, Rohit was appointed as India’s white-ball skipper and in 2022, he was made the captain of all formats. Under his leadership, India played the finals of the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup in 2023 but failed to clinch the title. However, India finally won their first ICC trophy in over a decade by beating South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in June.