Rohit Sharma has changed up his batting style as he approaches the end of his impressive career. The captain of India’s ODI team has become more aggressive at the crease, and it’s paid off, especially in ICC white-ball tournaments where India has lost only one match in three events, including the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the recent Champions Trophy.
For a long time, Rohit and Virat Kohli have been the backbone of India’s batting lineup across all formats. They both ended their T20I careers on a high note, playing crucial roles in India’s victory in the World Cup last year. In Tests and ODIs, the team still leans heavily on them.
Former Australian batsman Aaron Finch thinks Rohit’s aggressive approach works because he knows Kohli is there to back him up. “When you look at it, Rohit’s made that choice to go for it, knowing Virat is right behind him at number three,” Finch told PTI. “He can think, ‘I’m safe because I have him behind me to fix any mistakes.’ But you can’t have everyone in the team swinging for the fences from the first ball. That’s a good point. Rohit’s been doing it well.”
With Kohli shifting his focus back to T20 cricket as IPL 2025 kicks off, Finch believes he’s capable of increasing his strike rate. But he points out that Kohli hasn’t played aggressively often because he frequently finds himself in situations where he has to rescue RCB when others struggle.
“Sure, if Kohli’s strike rate went from 140 to 150, he could definitely do that. No problem. But how many times has he had to get RCB out of tough spots because his teammates faltered?” Finch said. “Like I said, I’d always trust a top-order player to score runs. That gives the other batsmen a lot more freedom to be aggressive.”
