IPL: 5 decisions of captain Rohit Sharma that prove he is a master tactician

It was in 2007 when Rohit Sharma forayed into international cricket. He was one of the key players for India in their World T20 2007 campaign. Since then, he has never looked back and found success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) both as a player and captain.

To date, Rohit has won one title as a player, with Deccan Chargers in the 2009 edition, and has led Mumbai Indians to an impressive five titles. He has been successful in executing the plans on the field and has taken some crucial decisions. His success in the tournament paved the way for his induction as captain of the Indian national team.

The youngsters, who have featured for Mumbai Indians in the past, have gone on to play international cricket as well. This is, in part, due to the support given by Rohit, the captain, which has helped them to build their confidence to perform well in pressure situations.

Here are 5 brilliant decisions taken by Rohit Sharma in the IPL

5. IPL 2017 – Sacrificing the opening slot

The left-right combination has always been lethal to eliminate the challenges posed by the opposition bowlers. The same strategy was used by Rohit and the Mumbai Indians team management in the 2017 edition.

Looking at the success of Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel as an opening pair in 2015, Rohit sacrificed his position and pushed himself down the order at No.4 for the entire season. It helped the Mumbai Indians team to play with the same strategy in the powerplay, while Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard provided acceleration to MI at the back end of the innings.

Lendl Simmons became the joint second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 540 runs, with the hitman. The move helped the team in winning their third title.