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'Ability To Shift...': Aakash Chopra Recalls Dhoni's Bold Move For Rohit Sharma's Career

Rohit Sharma (X)Rohit Sharma (X)

Aakash Chopra has provided a thoughtful reflection on Rohit Sharma's transformative journey as a cricketer, and he also credits the Indian skipper's promotion to opener in 2013 as the pivotal moment that shaped his career. 

In his recent video shared on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted how the decision by then-captain MS Dhoni to elevate Rohit to the top of the batting order completely changed the trajectory of his cricketing career.

Rohit Sharma's Early Struggles As A Middle-Order Batter

Rohit Sharma’s early years in his international career were filled with ups and downs. Rohit started his career in 2007 as a middle-order batter and was known for his immense talent, but struggled to convert his starts into big scores.

This inability to deliver regular match-winning performances led to setbacks, the most significant of which was his exclusion from India’s squad for the 2011 ICC World Cup.

"Rohit's starting years in international cricket were like a rollercoaster. His talent was evident but he couldn't convert his starts into big scores. He had a big setback in 2011 when Rohit was left out of the ICC World Cup squad. It was a devastating moment for Rohit. A pivotal moment in Rohit Sharma's career was when he was opening with Shikhar Dhawan in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy," he said. 

The turning point in Rohit’s career came in 2013 when MS Dhoni, India's captain at the time, made the bold decision to promote him to open the innings in white-ball cricket. 

"Opening gave him the freedom to play his natural game and Rohit's career started soaring from there. Rohit entered the golden phase of his career after 2013. Rohit became the most prolific batter in limited-overs cricket. He was recognized for his ability to play long innings and accelerate. Rohit's ability to shift gears during his innings has become legendary," the former India opener added.

It was during the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, where Rohit formed a successful opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan, that his career truly began to take off. 

When Will Rohit Sharma Play Next For India? 

As India prepares for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on September 19, all attention is focused on Rohit Sharma, India’s Test and ODI captain. 

He currently ranked 5th in the ICC Test batting rankings but has been absent from Test matches for over six months now. His outstanding performance in home Tests makes him one of the most crucial players for India's success against Bangladesh.