Former India batsman VVS Laxman has heaped praise on Rohit Sharma saying the stand-in skipper is becoming a semi-regular at his job, especially in T20I cricket.
Laxman pointed out that Rohit has clear plans but that he isn't afraid to improvise during the course of the match.
With Virat Kohli being rested more often than not for India's T20 assignments, Rohit has been leading the Men in Blue wonderfully well. The 31-year-old opener became the first Indian captain to win two T20I series by a 3-0 margin when the hosts completed a whitewash of the West Indies in Chennai on Sunday.
The Mumbai Indians captain, who proved his leadership skills in the shortest format of the game by leading the popular franchise to three titles in the highly-competitive Indian Premier League (IPL), has led India to 11 wins in 12 T20Is.
His win percentage of 91.66 is the most for an Indian captain in T20Is, considering a minimum of 10 matches. With his smart bowling changes and field settings, the swashbuckling opener is certainly making waves as captain at the international level.
"I was again mightily impressed with Rohit's captaincy. He is becoming a semi-regular at the job, especially in T20 cricket, and handled his troops admirably. He is proactive on the field and has clear plans, but isn't afraid to improvise," Laxman wrote in his column for Gulf News.
"He also continued to bat beautifully, and his fourth T20I hundred in Lucknow was one for the ages. I have seen few batsmen combine power and elegance with such nonchalance."
Much like his captain Kohli, Rohit has been able to lead the team from the front with the bat. The right-hander notched up his fourth T20I century — a world record — during the 3-0 win against the West Indies in Lucknow.
Meanwhile, Laxman also had a word of advice for wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who starred in the win over the West Indies with a quickfire half-century.
Pant has been touted as the ideal successor to MS Dhoni and has already been given the wicketkeeping duties in Tests and T20Is. The big-hitting left-hander has been impressive but his high-risk game, which delighted the viewers in IPL 2018, has been affecting his constancy to an extent.
"...Pant must understand that what is his strength can easily lead to his downfall if he is not careful. While it is imperative to embrace natural freedom, he will be well advised to play high-percentage strokes, more so when he is adept at doing so," Laxman added.
Having sealed the Test, ODI and the T20I series against the West Indies at home, India will head to Australia for a two-month-long tour wherein they're expected to dominate the weakened hosts, who will be without David Warner and Steve Smith.
