Fondly known as the ‘Hitman’ of Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma is widely regarded as one of the most elegant batsmen in contemporary cricket.
Sharma, who made his international debut way back in 2007, boasts of quite a few world records to his name. He is the proud owner of the highest individual ODI score — 264 (against Sri Lanka in 2014). Moreover, he is the only batsman in the history of ODI cricket to score three ODI double tons.
During his 11-year long cricket career thus far, Rohit has amassed 6594 ODI runs in 180 matches at an average and strike-rate of 44.55 and 86.94 respectively. He also has 17 ODI tons and 3 Test tons to his name, and is the only Indian batsman to score two Twenty20 international centuries.
More than the numbers, it is Rohit Sharma’s effortless ball-striking ability that has led to cricket fans and pundits calling him a ‘special talent’ and all sorts of adjectives. However, the Mumbai batsman doesn’t enjoy the tag of being a gifted cricketer.
"I'm not a fan of that tag because my abilities are something I've worked very hard to develop. I started off as a bowler. Batting is something I started working on later. Every time I step on to that field, I give it my all and that is what I vow to do till the very end," Rohit quoted as saying by IANS.
"While there are no shortcuts to success, each of us is wired differently. I thrive on discipline. But when I am not playing, I also enjoy a night out with friends. The key is to strike a healthy balance and I have a fabulous support system by way of my family, friends and team-mates to thank for this," he added.
When he plans to strategise on his best team combination, Rohit said: "Doing what's best for your team and making the best use of your playing 11 is what I look at. Often it happens that you don't use your playing 11 to their best potential; so my focus is to make sure I do."
Sharma, who is captaining the Mumbai Indians franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League, is often seen as someone who is very calm and deals with all complications with ease. So is he like that off the field as well?
"A calm mind is as important as physical fitness in the making of a professional sportsperson. Many people mistake calmness for submissiveness and that couldn't be further from the truth,” the 31-year-old said.
"I have realised that being calm is nothing but being extremely focused on what you are doing. You blur everything in the sidelines and concentrate on a target. Training in a sport inculcates this very naturally and it is but natural that it spills over off the ground as well," he concluded.
