Rohit Sharma: A leader who defies the odds

There is an old proverb: “If you see a tiger for one second, he has been watching you for an hour.' How true does it hold for Rohit Sharma? Man, who was mocked, vilified and nearly pushed to the brink. Any other mere man would have quit after all the muck thrown towards him. Rohit defied everyone and came out on top to lead India to their second ICC title within a year. 

Seeing him sit down on the pitch adorned with the Indian flag across his shoulder is a great moment. It was almost as if the skipper was having a heart-to-heart chat with the pitch and a wide message to the world that he is here to stay. Just like the proverb, Rohit was seeing it all, silently absorbing everything. When the time came, he pounced and roared in his way and was holding aloft a title that had missed India’s grasp eight years ago. 

Yes, Rohit is not Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, or MS Dhoni, but he is a captain who has changed India’s future. It is said that your team is only as good as your leader is. This Indian team, which was called out a few months ago, suddenly has performed a complete turnaround. This latest title win is just another step in Rohit’s conquest to prove to the world that as a leader, he belongs to the bright lights. 

The leader, the brother, and the visionary: Rohit Gurunath Sharma

It is said that leaders aren’t born, they are built, and in Rohit’s case, this holds. In 2013, when Ricky Ponting was struggling to get the results for a star-studded Mumbai Indians side, the former Aussie skipper stepped aside. In the middle of the tournament, a young Rohit was seen leading his troops and ultimately saw the team win their first IPL title. 

Also Read: Watch: Rohit Sharma presents Champions medal to daughter Samaira

No captain has outdone MS Dhoni in the IPL on more occasions than Rohit himself. Once the tiger has tasted fresh, it wants more, This analogy is the perfect way to sum up Rohit’s captaincy. In corporate speech, when the boss or the leader tastes success, the need to double the feat becomes stronger.

After India were knocked out of the 2022 T20 World Cup in the semi-final stages by England, the whole nation was downcast. Pictures of Rohit in tears, sitting in the dugout, are still fresh in people’s memories. It was at that moment that the visionary aspect of Rohit’s leadership came to the fore as he told Dinesh Karthik, “We must change the way we play." 

Those words were put into effect not just in T20 cricket but also in ODI cricket, where India has played a brand of cricket like no other. Yes, the team has faced losses, but nothing can beat the pain of 19^th November 2023. But brick by brick, the team’s morale was built again, and that led to India’s title win in 2024. 

For any player, Rohit Sharma is an elder brother in the team. The one who chides, gets upset or even abuses, but when the dust settles, he is the same person who is clowning around. Slowly but surely, the Indian cricket team is heading into the next generation, and the likes of Rohit and Virat Kohli will soon fade out. Perhaps after 2027, their memories will flicker far like a highway milestone in a rearview mirror. 

In his three years of leadership, Rohit has endured name-calling like no other. Questions about his 'weight' will continue. But the 37-year-old has taken the brickbats and continued to walk on the path to make India proud. Yes, he does have weight issues, but those are the 'weight' of expectations.  Just like a tiger, Rohit is on the prowl, hungry, not satisfied and eyeing the biggest prize. Critics and trolls be damned, the imprints on the ODI World Cup are already in his sights. Once the dust settles and Rohit walks away, one will remember that, as a captain, he heralded the start of a new era.