Rohit Sharma has benefitted from Virat Kohli: Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell, the former Australian batsman, reckons that Rohit Sharma has learned the art of ‘finishing off’ games from Indian skipper Virat Kohli. The Mumbai batsman, during the Hamilton T20I, deposited Tim Southee for a couple of sixes to give India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. In that game at the Seddon Park, Rohit also scored a fifty and was adjudged the Player of the Match.

Rohit couldn’t shine in the Auckland T20Is, but made a strong comeback in the third game that went into the Super Over. According to Chappell, he had apprehensions after Virat took over as the skipper of the Test team in 2014 due to the Delhi-born’s temperament. However, the 31-year-old has been able to channelize his emotions to perfection for the betterment of the team.

Virat has ensured his emotions work for him, says Chappell

“The fact that he has “finished off” so many of India’s victory opportunities has been an inspiration to other players to adopt a similar mentality. Rohit Sharma, in particular, has benefited from Kohli’s example, and his two sixes in the first Super Over win against New Zealand this week were a classic example of how self-belief has spread through the team,” Chappell wrote in ESPNcricinfo.

“When he first became captain, especially of the Test team, I thought his highly emotional temperament might be detrimental to his leadership. Instead, he has ensured his emotions work for him and not against the team. This is in line with his clear-thinking approach to the game,” he stated.

Chappell also said that Virat is a versatile cricketer and knows about his choice of strokes, bearing in mind the format he is playing. “To hear Kohli talk about batting, and particularly his rationale for eschewing the innovative short-form shots (he doesn’t want them to corrupt his Test-match style), is to listen to a master who comprehends his craft,” Chappell added.

In Test cricket, Virat had his travails, though he had already cemented his place in the limited-overs team. However, as time passed by, he upped his game and is currently a stalwart of the national side, irrespective of the format. Virat is also India’s most successful skipper in Tests, having won 33 matches.