Shardul Thakur Explains Why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Are Still India’s Biggest Dressing Room Assets
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur believes that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to play a huge role in the Indian team, even when they do not score big runs. According to Thakur, the experience and leadership of the senior stars help young players perform with more confidence.
India secured their first win of the United Kingdom tour by defeating England in the opening ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday, July 14. The visitors chased down a target of 259 with six wickets in hand. Although Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were dismissed for 11 and 5 respectively, Thakur said their contribution goes far beyond their performances with the bat.
Shardul Thakur praises Kohli and Rohit’s leadership
Speaking during a discussion on Sony Sports, Thakur highlighted the importance of having experienced players alongside youngsters in the squad.
“We heard Axar’s [Patel] interview. He said that whenever seniors are around in the dressing room, the players get a different kind of confidence. When it comes to longer formats of the game, be it Tests or ODIs, it is important to have the right mix of seniors and juniors. We have seen this in all the great teams. For juniors to excel, it is important for them to get proper guidance from seniors,” Thakur said during a discussion on Sony Sports.
He further explained that the presence of Kohli and Rohit motivates young cricketers to raise their standards.
“With Virat and Rohit in the dressing room, the youngsters are expected to lift their game. And, as they say, you cannot buy experience in the supermarket. You only get it by spending years on the field. The kind of experience the team gets from Rohit and Kohli and the value they bring in the dressing room is unmatched,” the seam-bowling all-rounder went on to add.
India’s chase was led by captain Shubman Gill, who scored 80 off 75 balls before retiring hurt. Shreyas Iyer added 35 runs, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar remained unbeaten with half-centuries to guide India to a comfortable victory.
