Rohit Sharma reveals surprising pick as batter he enjoys watching currently
May 15, 2024
Dubai [UAE], May 15 : Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opened up on the batter he currently enjoys watching and a bowler he has enjoyed battling with.
The Indian skipper, currently playing for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), was speaking on the Dubai Eye 103.8 Radio Station on Tuesday.
Speaking on the station, Rohit Sharma named England opener Zak Crawley and Australian opener Steve Smith as two players he enjoys watching currently.
"I watched Zak Crawley very closely this season and enjoyed watching him bat. I also enjoyed Steve Smith's batting, although he is different from the rest, I mean he has the ability to deal with things in the middle. has his own way but he is successful," said Rohit.
The 26-year-old Crawley is predominantly a Test batter for England. In 44 Tests for England, he has scored 2,611 runs at an average of 32.63 and a strike rate of 64.67, with four centuries and 14 fifties in 82 innings. His best score is 267. He has also played eight ODIs for England, scoring 199 runs with two fifties.
Smith on the other hand is an Australian legend who has scored 16,225 runs in 334 international matches for Australia, with 44 centuries and 79 fifties. His Test cricket record stands out the most, with 9,685 runs at an average of 56.97, with 32 centuries and 41 half-centuries. He has also won two ICC Cricket World Cups, one ICC T20 World Cup and one ICC World Test Championship each with Australia.
Speaking about the bowler he enjoyed battling with, he named South African pace legend Dale Steyn, who took 699 wickets in 265 international games for the Proteas from 2004-2020. Rohit said that he would watch Steyn's bowling videos "like 100 times" before going to bat and called him an "absolute legend".
"What he has achieved in his career is just superb to watch. And I have faced him many times. He is quick. He used to swing the ball at that pace, which is not easy. It is quite tough. And he was a fierce competitor. He just went out there wanting to do everything, to win every game and every session, so it was nice to come up against him. Not that I had much success against him, but I enjoyed my battles," Rohit concluded.
Rohit will be in action for India in the ICC T20 World Cup from June 1 onwards in the West Indies and USA.
