It was back in 2007 when Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir played together in a World Cup final, eventually both chiming in with their own respective shares of brilliance where Gauti smashed 75 while Rohit blasted a crucial 30 in the end, that allowed Team India to garner 157 on the card, that gave their bowlers a fighting chance.
Without going into what happened next, that was probably the last great occasion where the two come together and establish India into the history books. But since then, both Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma has walked their own separate walks of life and has been successful in their own capacity.
But now with India once again crumbling just when they need to take the flight of belief, maybe and just maybe, Rohit Sharma should try and look back in those glory days and then infuse that insight with the current days of cricket to try and map what possible lessons he can learn from a man who once called the shots of Indian cricket and was one of the most trusted deputies of MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir. Here are three lessons that Rohit Sharma can take from Gautam Gambhir.
#1 Being calm under the utmost pressuring situation
Gautam Gambhir showed control and composure in the most vital stages of a tournament and that is what makes him so special. It didn’t matter to him whether other people would fall. He would protect his citadel with utmost ferocity and then come out all guns blazing when his team needs him to. That transition is just another phenomenal upshot of what made Gautam Gambhir so special. Ideally, that is probably the best lesson Rohit can ascertain from Gauti.
#2 Exert himself as an elder brother and a friend instead of a captain
Gambhir is no exception to captaincy. He has had his shares of glory with Team India and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. More than the skipper, he was an elder brother to the players and to his contemporaries, he was a friend. Knowing their weaknesses and strengths, knowing what makes them special even in the face of a herculean task, Gauti was just that captain who would take a bullet for his players. Somehow, Rohit’s captaincy has been questioned over and over again and the primary reason for the same is his disconnect from the players at an emotional level. Every single pep talk that you would listen to in modern day cricket involves the all-important emotional quotient that is probably one of the most under-talked and yet a vital element of team-building. Gambhir knew it and would probably serve the right lesson to Rohit Sharma.
#3 A man who doesn’t fear anyone on the field
Rohit Sharma is a very talented batter and there are no second thoughts about this but when it comes to recent form, the Hitman of cricket has struggled of late and somehow that very instinct that made him the Hitman, his shot-playing ability is dying down. If that is not fixed at the earliest, things can really turn tricky and this is exactly where fearlessness comes into play. The belief in one’s strengths and the knowing of one’s weaknesses is an asset to any individual. Gautam Gambhir believed in his shots, in his abilities and that is what made him such a brilliant player. Another lesson that Rohit can introduce to his game.