Rohit Sharma opens up about playing under the leadership of Virat Kohli

Despite all the chaos and controversies currently running wild in Indian cricket, the two figures at the heart of it continue to express love for each other. The new captain of Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma opened up about what it felt like to play under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Rohit Sharma said that he relished every bit of under the leadership of Virat Kohli and the tradition didn’t change. In an interaction with bcci.tv, Rohit shed light on all the captivating moments that he had savoured while playing under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Standing on the sidelines of the Indian squad’s training for the upcoming South African tour, Rohit quoted, “Five years that he led the team, he led from the front every time, we stepped onto the park, and there was clear grit and determination to win every game, that was the message to the entire squad.”

He continued, “We have had a great time playing under him and I have played a lot of cricket under him, I have enjoyed each and every moment, still continue to do that.”

He was cautious while talking about the process to aim for the silverware. He said, “There are lot of things that we need to do right before we think of end result. The last ICC trophy (Champions Trophy), we won was in 2013.”

He further added, “But I don't see anything wrong that we did after that Champions Trophy. We played well and performed as a team but just that we couldn't get that extra inch. That can happen as international cricket is very demanding but that's the challenge as we are all professionals. Lot of World Cups are coming and India will be eyeing to do well in lot of them. Our focus is on winning championship but there is a process that we need to follow as a group.”

Rohit also emphasized his future objectives, quoting, “If you need to win the championship, there are lot of other things that you first need to take care of, then focus on the end goal. The focus will be on getting better as a player first and then collectively as a team.”

He also said, “When challenges are there and how you come out of those tough challenges is very important and I think, in the past we have been put in those situations before, where we have been 10 for 3 or 15 for 2 or something like that, we failed to recover. That's something that we need to keep in mind moving forward, it's one of the areas. One of his primary tasks is to ensure that each player is aware why he has been picked in the team and what is expected of him.”

Rohit was clear about the things that he wanted to do for the team and also spoke a few words about what was the mantra of his captaincy in the limited timeframes where he got to lead the team.

He said, “I have got limited opportunities to lead team India but whenever I have got an opportunity, I have tried to keep it simple, tried to keep one thing in common: clear communication to players. I have tried making sure that they understand their roles, and that is what it is all about, understanding that role and going out there and performing that role.”

He also spoke about the joint roles of the coach and himself for the team, as he quoted, “Because for us - coach and captain - it is important that we have clear communication and that is what I want to do, making people understand why they have been picked in the team."

He concluded by saying, “Working with Rahul bhai, it was three-odd games but it was fantastic. We know how he has played his cricket, hard and tough. There has been a sense of relaxation as well, because it is important to keep the atmosphere light and cheerful.”