[Exclusive] Dhawal Kulkarni on how India's captain Rohit Sharma has matured and supported players

Rohit Sharma rose to the echelons of the Indian cricket coming from Mumbai. He led the Indian team to its second T20 World Cup title in June 2024 and an ICC title came under India’s name after a hiatus of 11 years. Former Indian pacer, who hails from Mumbai and has played extensively for Mumbai sharing a dressing room with Rohit, said that the player has matured a lot.

Rohit has been at the forefront of the Indian team since 2021. He now leads the side in Tests and ODIs after announcing his retirement for T20Is in June. He is touted as the beloved figure in the team by youngsters, Kulkarni spoke highly about the 37-year-old, quipping that the veteran provides confidence to the young lot and is an “exceptional” person.

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"As an individual, he has matured a lot. When he was first given the captaincy of the Indian team, you could see how his performance really stood out. The way he has supported and given confidence to many players is truly commendable. I think he is one of the most beloved characters in the Indian team. If you ask anyone who is close to him, they will all say the same – that he is an exceptional person above everything else,” Kulkarni replied exclusively to CT on the sidelines of LLC.

Speaking of Rohit, the India skipper recently led the team to a 2-0 series win against Bangladesh in Tests and also looked at his fluent best in the Kanpur match. Currently, on a short break, he will be leading the team against touring New Zealand in the three-match Test series scheduled to commence with the first in Bengaluru on October 16. Subsequently, the right-handed batter will hope to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which would be his first assignment as red-ball captain down under, commencing November 22.