It is now Rohit Sharma's time to embrace the spotlight

With every passing decade, a few of the existing sporting stars start to fade away paving a path for a newer set of prodigal young stars to take over. In cricket, it happens ever so often. Many a blistering career have blended away into oblivion by the time they reach their conclusion. However, a few of these stalwarts go on the extra mile to embark on their journeys towards achieving generational greatness.

From the maestro in Tendulkar to the flair in Lara, the elegance of Ricky Ponting to the panache in Virat Kohli, these modern-day greats achieved the pinnacle in their careers well before they even turned 30. However, much like in life, not everyone is destined to achieve absolute brilliance at the same pace. There are a few who could be slow starters but most certainly make their way to the top, eventually.

Rohit Sharma could well be one of those. While some have called him lazy and careless, others have perceived the same ‘laziness’ to be his elegance. The man has had his fair share of retractors as well as some loyal admirers. For the longest of times though, the Mumbai-born cricketer has remained in the shadows of those who have been the poster boys of Indian cricket. Be that MS Dhoni or an ultra-flamboyant Virat Kohli. However, Rohit Sharma has been there, just about. For him, it has been a case of so close yet so far.

But finally, Rohit might just be making his way to be at the cusp of generational greatness. If the last year is anything to go by, Rohit’s time to be in the limelight might have finally come.

Rohit Sharma inching towards generational greatness

Looking back into 2021, in terms of how his team faired, Rohit’s underwhelming returns at the WT20 might have tilted it into being a mixed-bag year for him. However, what preceded the World Cup could still very well have made 2021 a milestone year in Rohit’s cricketing journey thus far.

It is the ever so eminent tour to England in the summer where Rohit Sharma seems to have finally unearthed the missing piece to his cricketing puzzle. Not many cricketing pundits etched any of their hopes on Rohit accomplishing anything of note during one of the toughest assignments in cricket, Test Cricket in England. And, even Rohit knew.

Many in Indian cricketing circles have looked at Rohit as one talent who was too special to not come good in Test cricket. However, with every passing season, those hopes started to fade. Maybe, Rohit Sharma was not cut out for Test cricket. Maybe, he was to remain one of India’s best white-ball cricketers, but just that alone, a brilliant white ball cricketer.

Rohit all set to take on as 35th Test captain of India

Rohit Sharma, however still had that faith in himself to resurrect his Test career when India left for the English shores. With a newfound inducement, India’s white-ball stalwart negated, left, and defended some menacing swing and seam of the famed English pacers just as his life depended on it. And, when the time was correct, he pounced.

A couple of polished fifties later, Rohit struck his first overseas century, at the Oval. A match-winning inning of sheer grit & perseverance garnished with the elegance which only Rohit Sharma brings to batsmanship.

Certainly, Rohit Sharma had arrived, and this time in Test cricket. The cricketer has previously been quoted as saying how much his father wants the batter to succeed in Test cricket, with his desire now finally fulfilling, if not completely yet, at least the first step towards it was taken by his son.

However, his coming of age did not conclude in England. A year down the line and Rohit Sharma holds the most coveted position in Indian Cricket, the 35th Test Captain of India. From on the brink of seeing his Test career disappear to becoming the captain, it could well be what dreams are made of.