Hafeez praised Rohit for his selfless approach with the bat.
Former Pakistani cricketer Mohammed Hafeez has said that India captain Rohit Sharma is the only deserving person to win the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. India will clash with England in the second semi-final of the tournament on June 27 in Guyana.
Rohit single-handedly helped India post 205/5 against Australia as he smacked a 41-ball 92-run knock including 8 sixes and 7 fours in his knock. Four of those sixes were hit in a single over by Mitchell Starc. India went on to win the match by 24 runs and topped their group in Super 8s.
Hafeez praised Rohit’s selfless approach to batting and his leadership abilities. He also emphasized Rohit’s selflessness, noting its impact on his transformation from a very good player to a great one.
“It was a Rohit show. We witnessed one of the best innings from a captain. Leading from the front agar aap baat kar rahe hai. Sirf ek cheez, Rohit ki quality se kisi ko saq nahi tha, ek cheez unhone badli. One thing he changed within himself, was a ‘selfless approach’. Jis tarike se unhone evolve kiya iss game ke saath - woh bahut achche player the, woh great zone me chale gaye. Sirf by changing to selfless approach,” Hafeez said on PTV Sports.
Hafeez stated that Rohit's altruistic approach has been part of his plan for over a year, making him a prominent performer in the 2023 ODI World Cup as well.
He explained: “Yeh jo innings hai, yeh jo khelne ka karaka hai, inhone pichle saal se inki planning ki, uske mutabik execution suru ki. If you see the last 50-over World Cup, he was the standout performer for India. Kuch bhi ho jata tha he was playing selfless. The most impressive part of his innings was that he was not thinking about any of his milestones, and was hitting the ball accordingly. And at the post-match he said, '50s and 100s doesn't matter to me now'. Because he knows what he wants to be, he doesn't want to be having a hundred centuries. He wants to be a champion player, who will always be remembered. Winning ICC trophies.”
Hafeez noted Rohit’s clarity of goals, which is centered not around personal achievements, but on winning ICC trophies for India.
He stated: “Jab aap apna goal bada kar lete hai toh aapki pedigree badi ho jati hai. Agar Rohit ki baat karung toh India ki leadership deserved karti hai ki yeh World Cup jeete. Jis tarah woh unconditional, champion ke tor pe khele. Koi fark nahi pad raha seam ho raha, nahi ho raha, break ho raha, nahi ho raha. A special effort from Rohit and aap kissi aur ki bhi tareef karenge woh Rohit ke saamne chhoti nazar aayegi. Rohit is the only person at the moment who deserves to win this World Cup for India.”
Here is the video:
The former Pakistan captain believes Rohit Sharma's leadership and unselfish effort make him the ideal choice to lead India to World Cup triumph. Hafeez's appraisal highlights Rohit's transformation into a player whose only concentration is now on earning success for his team, rather than personal recognition.