Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has recalled an incident that he feels best underlined Rohit Sharma's captaincy abilities. The ex leg-spinner remembered that even at midnight 2:30, the veteran opener had been chalking plans on how to dismiss David Warner in their upcoming match and texted him to discuss it.
Rohit, who replaced Virat Kohli as the all-format captain after the 2021 T20 World Cup, enjoyed his first major success when he skippered the Men in Blue to T20 World Cup victory. The stylish right-hander had come in with a strong captaincy background, having marshalled the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, Chawla narrated the incident:
"I've played so much cricket with him that we've reached a comfort level. We sit off-the-field as well. Once, at 2:30 in the night, he texted me and asked, "you up?" He drew a field on paper and discussed with me about potentially dismissing Warner. Even at that time, he was thinking about how he could get the best out of me."
"He's a true leader" - Piyush Chawla on Rohit Sharma
Chawla also branded Rohit as a leader, given how he sets the tone at the top and allows others to play freely.
"There's a captain, then there's a leader. He isn't a captain, he is a leader. Whether it was 2023 ODI WC, or the 2024 T20 WC, the way he batted, he sets the tone in such a way that he made it easy for next batters. He's a true leader. He gives you a free hand."
