"He’s backed the players who were injured" - Sanjay Bangar praises Rohit Sharma for his ability to instill confidence in players

Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar hailed skipper Rohit Sharma for his ability to back injured players low on confidence - Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer.

While Bumrah was out for a year with a back injury before returning for the Ireland T20s, Rahul and Iyer missed extended time since the IPL this year before returning for the Asia Cup. However, the trio has repaid the faith displayed by the skipper with match-winning performances during India's incredible run in the ongoing World Cup.

Speaking on Star Sports, Bangar highlighted the ability to deal with players and instill confidence in them as Rohit's USP.

"I believe his USP is that he’s backed the players who were injured and low on confidence. Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah these 3 players were making comebacks after injury, and they were given the confidence that they were a part of this team, and that the team believes in their abilities, and that they would get opportunities," said Bangar.

Bumrah is the sixth leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 15 scalps in eight games, while Rahul and Iyer average 61.25 and 48.83 in as many games, respectively.

Team India remains the lone unbeaten team of the 2023 World Cup, winning all eight games and locking up the top spot in the points table.

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"Another captain who did something similar is Saurav Ganguly" - Sanjay Bangar

Ganguly is one of India's most accomplished captains.

Sanjay Bangar compared Rohit Sharma's trust in players with former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Bangar, who played under Ganguly during his career, recalled the now-retired cricketer placing similar faith in players like Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, among others.

"When any captain says this, it’s above everything for a player. Another captain who did something similar is Saurav Ganguly, when he identified Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. So, this is one fantastic contribution by Rohit Sharma as a captain," said Bangar.

Ganguly captained India in 195 games across formats, winning 97 and losing 78 with 15 draws, including leading the side to the 2003 World Cup final. Meanwhile, Rohit boasts an incredible winning percentage of almost 75 in his 102 games as Indian captain.

Since taking over as captain, the 36-year-old led India to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last year and the World Test Championship (WTC) final this year.

Before playing in the first semi-final next week, Team India will take on the Netherlands in their final league stage game at Bengaluru on Sunday, November 12.