NEW DELHI: Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane backed the troubled Indian captain ahead of his first Ranji Trophy debut in almost ten years on Wednesday, saying that Rohit Sharma doesn’t need to be told what to do and that he will get a “big one once he gets in.”
When reigning champions Mumbai play Jammu and Kashmir at the BKC Ground in Mumbai on Thursday, all eyes will be on Rohit and his India opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal.
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“See, Rohit is Rohit. We all know that. Aapko bhi pata hai Rohit ka character (You also know Rohit’s character). I am really happy to have both of them back in the Mumbai dressing room,” Rahane told media during Mumbai’s training session in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“Rohit has always been relaxed. Even playing at the international level, his character is similar. His attitude is pretty much relaxed. He knows his game really well so, no one has to tell him what he needs to do.
“Once he gets in, I’m sure he will do well. He has never changed, which is a very good thing,” Rahane added.
The 37-year-old Rohit has struggled with form in recent months, as evidenced by his recent Test defeats to New Zealand (at home) and Australia (away).
Rahane claimed that although all players have highs and lows, Rohit has been “really confident.”
“What is important is (that) he is hungry, he is determined to do well. I am sure once he gets in, he will get a big one,” the veteran, who has shared the Indian dressing room with Rohit, said.
“He batted really well yesterday (in) a couple of sessions so it’s part and parcel of a player’s career. I am really confident about Rohit.”
But according to Rahane, the match that begins on Thursday might be the only one Rohit plays this season.
On February 6, Rohit will lead India in a three-match ODI series against England, which will be followed by the Champions Trophy.
“I think he’s only playing this game; not sure about the next game. His inputs in the next four days will be really important,” Rahane said.
According to Rahane, Jaiswal’s success in international cricket may be attributed to his unwavering determination.
“…(In the) last couple of years, he’s been performing well for the Indian team (and) before that, going into the Indian team, he did well for Mumbai as well,” he said.
“It’s good to have a guy like Yashasvi in the team who is really hungry and determined to score runs. These things will really impact all the youngsters in the dressing room,” Rahane added.
Rahane praised Rohit and Jaiswal for sharing their experiences with the Mumbai teammates.
“As a team, (and) individually, players are going up to them (and) asking questions, learning from them. Once they are on the field, I am sure the players will watch them and they’ll learn a lot of things from them,” he added.
When asked if Rohit and Jaiswal would open for Mumbai, Rahane quipped “is this even a question?”
“For any cricketer, getting match preparation (and) game-time is really important. Obviously, there is no red-ball (Test) cricket at this moment. But they are going to play white-ball (competitions),” he said.
After spending a significant amount of time in white-ball contests, Rahane was optimistic that Mumbai will be able to find their rhythm.
Before the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and Vijay Hazare ODI Trophy, two white-ball events, teams played five Ranji league matches. The second and last leg of the Ranji season has officially begun.
“The challenge is to adapt quickly as a team because everyone has been playing white-ball cricket since last one-and-a-half-months. For us as a team, it’s important to be in the moment, focus on our strengths,” Rahane said.
“In red-ball (cricket), we’ve been doing really good as a team so it’s all about staying in the moment, not too much thinking about the result and outcome,” he said.
