Former India cricketer VVS Laxman has said that Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in the shortest format of the game has impressed him.
Sharma has stepped in as captain whenever Virat Kohli was unavailable, most recently during the Twenty20 International series against West Indies, which India won 3-0.
Praising Sharma’s captaincy, Laxman wrote in his column for the Times of India, “He is becoming a semi-regular at the job, especially in T20 cricket, and handled his troops admirably. He is proactive on the field and has clear plans, but isn’t afraid to improvise. He also continued to bat beautifully, and his fourth T20I hundred in Lucknow was one for the ages. I have seen few batsmen combine power and elegance with such nonchalance.”
According to Laxman, the difference between the two sides in the series was the performance of the senior batsmen. “While Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan masterminded India’s dominance, the Windies didn’t get results from Darren Bravo and Kieron Pollard. Especially given the lack of penetration in the bowling – apart from the exception of the exciting Oshane Thomas – the visitors were heavily dependent on their batting. When that department didn’t deliver, they really had little chance.”
Laxman was also pleased to see Shikhar Dhawan score some runs ahead of India’s tour of Australia. The left-handed opener scored a 43 and 92 against the West Indies recently.