NEW DELHI: 'Amazing leader' - that's how former India spinner Harbhajan Singh hailed captain Rohit Sharma who led a young Team India to a 4-1 Test series win against England in the recently-concluded five-match Test series.
In the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami, Rohit shepherded his young batallion to bag a remarkable series win.
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Harbhajan not only hailed Rohit the captain, but the off-spin legend also lauded Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal who were phenomenal in the series.
TimesofIndia.com caught up with Harbhajan, who played 103 Tests, 236 ODIs, and 28 T20Is, and spoke about Rohit's leadership, Virat in the T20 World Cup, Yuzvendra Chahal's absence, and much more...
1/7:Players to win IPL title in debut season as captain
Agencies
2/7:Hardik Pandya - 2022
<p>Hardik Pandya assumed captaincy of Gujarat Titans, leading them to clinch the IPL trophy in their debut season in 2022.<br /></p>Agencies
3/7:Hardik Pandya
<p>Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to consecutive finals in 2022 and 2023 before returning to Mumbai Indians as their new captain.<br /></p>Agencies
4/7:Rohit Sharma - 2013
<p>In 2013, Rohit Sharma became the captain of Mumbai Indians, now boasting the joint most IPL titles. His tenure ended before the 2024 season began.</p>Agencies
5/7:Rohit Sharma
<p>As a captain he has won five IPL trophies ( 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020)</p>Agencies
6/7:Shane Warne - 2008
<p>From 2008 to 2011, Shane Warne led in 55 matches, winning 30, losing 24, with one ending in no result. He notably guided Rajasthan Royals to victory in the inaugural IPL edition in 2008.<br /></p>Agencies
7/7:Shane Warne
<p>Shane Warne maintained an economy of 7.27 while claiming 57 wickets throughout four IPL seasons.<br /></p>AgenciesOn Rohit Sharma the captain...
Rohit Sharma is a human being the entire dressing room loves. The foundation of this young Team India has been laid by Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli wasn't part of the (England) series. In the absence of a stalwart like him, the way youngsters have performed is just amazing and commendable. This shows there is no dearth of talent in our youngsters. All they need is a platform. If you look at the series, India were 1-0 down and then made a remarkable turnaround to win the remaining matches and the series, and that too without senior players Virat, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul.
Youngsters came forward and grabbed the opportunity from both hands. Credit to Rohit also -- the way he handled and guided these youngsters, and showed trust and faith in them. It was just amazing. He is an amazing leader. Be it Yashasvi, Sarfaraz, Shubman (Gill), or Jurel, they all needed a platform and a captain who could push them forward. They needed a hand on their shoulders and Rohit played that big role very, very well. He was a captain and a big brother to these youngsters in the series. He conveyed a message to them - 'mai aapke saath hun, aap wo kariye jo aapko aata hai' (I am with you, do what you know).
Will Rohit Sharma be under pressure in the T20 World Cup?
Whenever the World Cup arrives, we all set expectations on our team that it should go on to win matches and trophies as well. There is a lot of talent in this team, no one can point out a single problem in any department -- be it bowling, fielding or batting. This team has everything. The only thing this team has to change is mindset (when it comes to winning ICC tournament). We need to learn from the past, move forward and have to ensure that we don't repeat those mistakes. A good team is one that doesn't repeat mistakes. I hope this team will ensure it enters the final and wins the title too. Virat and Rohit are going to play huge roles for India in the World Cup. Experience always matters.
1/10:10 IPL captains with highest win percentage
Getty Images
2/10:Daniel Vettori
<p>Daniel Vettori rounds off the list with an overall win percentage of 54.54%, captaining RCB in 22 matches.</p>Getty Images
3/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Rishabh Pant holds the ninth spot with an overall win percentage of 55%, having led DC in 30 matches.</p>Getty Images
4/10:Gautam Gambhir
<p>Gautam Gambhir achieved a win percentage of 55.42%, with 71 wins out of 129 matches as captain for DC and KKR.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Shane Warne
<p>Shane Warne secures the seventh position with an overall win percentage of 55.45%, leading RR in 55 matches.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma boasts a win percentage of 56.32%, securing victory in 87 out of 158 matches as captain for MI.</p>Getty Images
7/10:Anil Kumble
<p>Anil Kumble holds the fifth position with an overall win percentage of 57.69%, captaining RCB in 26 matches.</p>Getty Images
8/10:Sachin Tendulkar
<p>Sachin Tendulkar achieved an overall win percentage of 58.82%, captaining MI in 51 matches.</p>Getty Images
9/10:MS Dhoni
<p>MS Dhoni leads with a win percentage of 59.37%, having won 133 out of 226 matches as captain.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Steve Smith
<p>Steve Smith holds the second position with an overall win percentage of 59.52%, captaining in 43 matches for PWI, RPS, and RR.</p>Getty ImagesIs this the end of the road for Yuzvendra Chahal?
Why we are saying or thinking that it is the end of the road for Chahal? In fact, till now, I have not seen a better leg-spinner or a leg-spinner with a bigger heart than him. I am talking worldwide, not just in India. Ye gutthi hai jo sulajhne ka naam nahi le rhi (why he is not a part of the team is still a mystery). It would be great if Kuldeep and Chahal play together. Both are experienced players. The pair has done wonders for India. Kuldeep has been very good. He has been taking wickets in every match. He has got the confidence he needs. Now he feels he is where he wanted to be.
How comfortable Rohit Sharma will be playing under Hardik Pandya for Mumbai Indians?
Only time will tell. Who will be comfortable or who will not? Mumbai Indians have been a solid and formidable team in IPL. I am sure they would love to leave the controversies behind and pave the way for the future.
On BCCI's Test incentive...
There is nothing bigger than Test cricket. I am really happy with the steps taken to improve Test cricket or red-ball cricket in our country. These steps should have been taken years ago. Whenever star players go to play Ranji Trophy, people come to watch the match in big numbers. Domestic tournaments also need big stars. Apart from fans, young players will also get to interact with these star players in the dressing room and learn from them.
Your take on Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's removal from the list of BCCI's annual contracts?
As a player, it is hard to digest that the step has been taken against them despite making a lot of runs or playing so much cricket for India. But if we look, this in a constructive way, it will help in a big way. This is a learning for a lot of cricketers. Both Ishan and Iyer have to go a long way. They have a big career ahead of them. Both are talented cricketers. I am confident that both Iyer and Ishan will come back to the Indian team soon, will make runs and will win many hearts. They just need to treat this as a lesson. They need to learn and move on. BCCI is there for all the players. They are doing everything for the players.
