Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has been in tremendous form in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Yes, the team is doing exceptionally well being the only unbeaten side in the tournament so far, which naturally makes the captain look good, however, Rohit has been significant in not only managing the bowling changes and the field but in leading the way this team has played with the bat. Rohit has struck at 133 in five matches and has the highest strike rate amongst batters with the most runs in the Top 14.
Rohit is playing selfless cricket and it is setting the tone for the batters to come. Chasing in all five games with at least an over to spare just shows how dominant the batters have been after the bowlers were able to restrict the opposition to a par or below-par score on a couple of occasions.
Now with five wins, the expectations have increased for this team as a population of 1.3 billion is not expecting anything less than a World Cup. And Rohit, whose leadership has been something of note, talked about managing egos, different characters in a team environment and the importance of man-management, especially in a prestigious tournament like the World Cup.
Rohit said that it's important to hear everyone out and ensure that each of the players is in a great mental space and that's something he has developed over time. Rohit, who started leading in 2013 in the IPL, has slowly grown into the role for India since taking full-time captaincy in 2021 for India.
Speaking on Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues', Rohit said, "I think when it comes to managing players, it’s quite important that you understand the individual first and their requirement, what are the likes and dislikes of that particular individual because you know in a team sport it’s just not about one or two individuals or few individuals, it’s about everyone. We do understand as well that when you want to win championships, big tournaments, everyone need to come to the party and play their part. So, it’s important that you keep everyone in good mental space. So, it’s very important to hear everyone out, understand what they want, how they want to operate and things like that and then you take everything into consideration and move forward and that is something that I always do.
"I try and put myself in their shoes and think about what this individual will be needing now. So, it’s important to think like that and you know luckily, I have got good bunch of guys around me; the players, the support staffs are quite understanding in terms of the requirement of the team, the players and everyone. So, yeah that is something that I wouldn’t say comes naturally to me, I've learned it over the years, gone through my personal experiences and understood what is needed for a team to be successful.
Rohit said that in a tournament like the World Cup, team bonding is crucial, staying together as a team and shutting the outside noise is key and hence the players trusting him becomes very important.
"I think what is needed to be successful is to understand everyone's need, their requirement and give them that space and freedom to go and execute their job and their roles. Because it can be quite daunting at times because when you are playing such a high-profile tournament, the pressure can get to you at times. So, it's important to just stay together as a team, understand what each one needs to be in that good zone where they can come out and play free cricket and not worry about what is happening outside," he added.
