Let's discuss Rohit Sharma

The following sentence could easily be interpreted as an overstatement, but here it is anyway. Rohit Sharma is a cricketer who extracts such a vast range of emotions from the viewers, it’s comparable only to the one by the name of Sachin Tendulkar. Monday you may hate him and Tuesday you adore him, but by the end of a week you’ve definitely sworn your property in his name, as well as cursed the worst of things upon his soul.

Any coach in Mumbai will tell you that Rohit Sharma is a rare talent. Like unearthing a palm-sized diamond in the enormous amount of rubble that is Mumbai. Thousands aspire to be a Sachin Tendulkar, but only one got to be a Rohit Sharma. And that’s another sentence that could be interpreted as an overstatement.

But the truth is, Rohit Sharma’s talents are folklore in Mumbai circles. There are so many even today who’ll tell you that he was the best batsman they ever saw grace Azad or Cross Maidan. And in a city like Mumbai, bustling with young batters wanting to prove to themselves and to the world what they’re capable of, that’s a remarkable achievement. Yet, you feel a little underwhelmed after you watch Rohit Sharma walking back into the pavilion after throwing his wicket away while playing for India. I say ‘throwing’ because that is essentially what he does. On a good day, and we’ve seen this, Rohit Sharma can dismantle the opposition on a whim. But you often see him trying something wildly audacious and unnecessary, and watch him head bent down, walking back dejected.

While playing for India, you want to feel a sense of calm settle over you when he walks in, but he refuses to give us that privilege. And then, out of nowhere, he goes berserk when the IPL starts, almost like it’s some full moon waiting to unleash the monster that’s within him. He decimates bowlers like it’s nobody’s business and does it with class. He races from boundary to boundary, but rather than hoot jumping from your seat, you sit back and applaud the glorious display of shot selection.

So what is it about Rohit Sharma that makes him click during the cash-rich IPL, then wither and fall apart when playing for India?

With captaincy thrust upon him after the failure of Ricky Ponting, we’re seeing the emergence of a responsible Rohit Sharma who can carry a team with Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga on his shoulders. We never doubted his capability, but we did question his commitment. For a player of such a high level of talent to throw it away is a waste, and echoes the disastrous fall that Vinod Kambli suffered.

But let’s not throw all the blame on him for a moment. Sure, he’s failed to grab a hold of any opportunities, but his ability over his development years was carved to cater to the longer version of the game, and he hasn’t had that opportunity for India yet. It’s surprising, but when we talk of Tendulkar replacements, we never speak of Rohit Sharma. He has an astounding average of 60 in the domestic tournament, yet we’ve yet to see him make an appearance for India.

But that’s cricket. You don’t always get what you want, but you’ve got to hold on to whatever it is you get. Rohit Sharma is one of the most exciting players of our generation, arguably far better than Virat Kohli. All he needs is to apply himself, the way he is now, and we’re in for a few years of greatness.