Asia Cup 2022: Rohit Sharma is a bit laid-back captain, says Sourav Ganguly
Asia Cup 2022: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly termed Rohit Sharma as a “laid-back captain” on Wednesday and suggested that the Mumbai native be given more time to deliver results.
Since the 35-year-old Rohit replaced Virat Kohli as the team’s full-time captain across all formats, India has had as many as seven leaders leading the squad at different times due to workload management, COVID, and injury concerns.
Ganguly praised Rohit, who has led Mumbai Indians to a record-tying five Indian Premier League (IPL) championships, and suggested that before he is compared to the likes of the legendary MS Dhoni and Kohli, he should be given a longer leash.
“Rohit Sharma is obviously a bit laid back who takes things in a very calm and cautious way and not someone who’s into your face all the time,” Ganguly said during the Bengal Peerless event on ‘Leadership in Modern India’.
The former captain was responding to a question regarding the succession of Indian leaders since he retired.
“India has produced some great captains over the years. MS Dhoni who handled the transition fantastically, and continues to bring accolades not just for India but his franchise (Chennai Super Kings).
“Then came Virat Kohli who also has a fantastic record. He was a different sort of captain, he did things differently.
“Every individual is different but what matters is the result and how many wins and losses you have. I don’t compare captains, everybody has their way of leadership.
“We give responsibility to someone, then we want him to do the things the way we want it. And I think that’s not correct. When you back someone let him captain, give him a bit of time to give results, and then see what happens.”
When India faced Australia in the 2003 World Cup final, Ricky Ponting’s team toyed with the Indian attack. To post a sizable 359/2, prompting some to question Ganguly’s decision to bowl.
Australia triumphed by a huge 125 runs to win for the second time in a row.
No regrets about the choice, Ganguly said.
“I don’t think in retrospect. I disappointed that I lost the final but I don’t think toss was the reason to lose the final. We did not play well,” he said.
Asked to comment on FIFA’s ban on Indian football, he said:
“I don’t deal with football so I won’t be able to answer that question. But I think every sports body has a system, every sports body has its rules and regulations. We at BCCI also have rules and protocols.”
The post Asia Cup 2022: Rohit Sharma is a bit laid-back captain, says Sourav Ganguly appeared first on CricTelegraph.