The Indian team captain Rohit Sharma, has explained the reason behind his decision to quit bowling off-spin in International cricket.
Rohit Sharma kickstarted his cricketing odyssey as a brilliant right-arm off-spinner, rather than the powerful hitter we know today. However, as his batting abilities increased, he gradually phased out his bowling skills.
Though his spin bowling was clearly efficient, it didn’t quite reach the heights of a specialist spinner. His ODI record attests to this reality, with 38 innings and 8 wickets to his name. Nevertheless, those days of him making a big contribution with the ball are now a distant memory.
In the world of ODIs, Rohit Sharma’s last tenure as a bowler dates back to 2016. In fact, since 2012, he has only bowled in four ODI matches, and this tendency holds true across all formats of the game.
Many find it strange that despite being a good off-spinner, he has opted to refrain from bowling, especially with the Indian team’s present scarcity of all-rounders.
Rohit Sharma has given light on the logic behind his choice to not bowl. When questioned about his absence from the bowling crease owing to injury worries, Rohit openly acknowledged that he prefers not to let it hinder his batting abilities, even if he’s completely capable of bowling.
In an interview with journalist Vimal Kumar, the Indian skipper said: “I have problems with my finger while bowling. I don’t want my batting affected because of it. I am bowling in the nets, and let’s see.”
Rohit Sharma so far has taken 11 wickets in international cricket in his career (2 Tests, 8 ODIs, and 1 T20). He also took 15 wickets in the IPL.
Rohit Sharma has been performing quite well recently. He had an impressive run during the Asia Cup 2023, followed by a crucial fifty in the sole match he participated in against Australia. ‘Men In Blue’ will kick off their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign on 8th October against Australia at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
India Squad For The World Cup:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Surya Kumar Yadav.
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