Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as India white-ball captain and is expected to become the Test skipper as well.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri talked about the difference in the personalities of two of the greatest modern era batters India has produced- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma over the years have been the mainstays of the Indian batting line in all three formats. The duo many a time has single-handedly won matches for their side and have played an instrumental role in making Team India one of the most dominant sides in the world.
Both from time to time have proved their prowess and have taken the team forward with their leadership skills as well. While Virat Kohli led Team India for more than seven years, Rohit Sharma has taken over the reins of white-ball captaincy from him and also is expected to lead the side in Tests.
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In an interaction with Shoaib Akhtar on his YouTube channel, Ravi Shastri, who has spent time with both players as India's head coach, hailed Virat Kohli as the beast on the field, saying that the right-hander wants to compete and is not worried about anybody.
He added that now with Kohli not being the captain it’ll be a challenge for him to have the same energy as a player and help India win.
"Virat is like a beast on the field. He is a terrier. Once he enters the ground, he wants to compete and is not worried about anybody. He is in-your-face and passionate. Off the field, he is totally opposite. Absolutely calm, chilled... there is no issue with him.
“He is 33. He has been contributing as a captain. The challenge comes when you are not captain after a span of time.Then to still have the energy to play as a player, get runs, and help India win. If he does that, he would have completed a full circle,” Ravi Shastri said.
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Ravi Shastri further called Rohit Sharma ‘laid-back' in a positive way and highlighted how he evolved his game in the last few years, saying that when he’s in the flow there are only a few batters who play like him.
"Now, Rohit is laid back. It was sometimes that you got the feeling that the game came too easy to him, till he realised that 'God has given me this gift and now let me also work harder and make the most of it'. And when in full flow, there are few batters who play like him," he said.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be next seen in action when India will take on West Indies in ODI and T20I series, starting 6th February.
(ANI inputs)