“That’s why Rohit Sharma is a better captain” - Former opener’s massive statement on Indian captain after 2025 Champions Trophy final

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag hailed skipper Rohit Sharma after the side's triumphant 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. The Men in Blue dominated from start to finish, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament and winning a record third Champions Trophy title.

For most of the competition, Rohit played with a unique four-pronged spin attack, rotating the bowlers skillfully to keep the opposition at bay. Despite sub-par returns with the bat in the first four games, the 37-year-old blazed away in the final with a match-winning 83-ball 76 to help India overcome the New Zealand challenge.

Talking about Rohit's captaincy prowess on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said (quoted by News18):

"We underrate his captaincy, but after these two trophies, he became the second (Indian) captain after MS Dhoni to win multiple ICC titles. The way the captain has used his bowlers, the way he has handled the team, the way he has guided the team, and whatever communication he does, he does it very clearly. That’s why Rohit Sharma is a better captain."

He added:

"Whether it’s playing Harshit Rana first ahead of Arshdeep Singh or then bringing in Varun Chakravarty in place of Harshit Rana, he has done good communication with his players, and that was important."

Rohit joined former wicketkeeper batter MS Dhoni as the only Indian captains to lead the side to multiple ICC titles. Under Rohit, India have now won back-to-back ICC titles, with their unbeaten run in the 2024 T20 World Cup being the first.

"He thinks less about himself" - Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag pointed to Rohit Sharma's selflessness and the ability to make his teammates comfortable as the keys to his success as captain. The two ICC titles aside, Rohit has also been the joint-most successful captain in the IPL with five titles.

"He thinks less about himself, more about his team, his teammates. He makes them comfortable. He realises that if a player has insecurity, then his performance will not come. That’s why he doesn’t let anyone feel insecure in that team. He takes everyone with him. This is the need for a better captain and leader. And Rohit Sharma is doing it very well," said Sehwag.

Rohit has also made a conscious effort to let go of big runs for quick scoring in the power play in white-ball cricket. The method has paid rich dividends, with India reaching the final of the last three ICC white-ball events and winning two of them.