“He gives freedom to all players to back their game” – Ajinkya Rahane for Rohit Sharma’s captaincy

Team India’s Test vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane, has lauded skipper Rohit Sharma, commending him for being a leader who not only empowers players but also supports them. Rahane believes these qualities exemplify a good captain. When Rohit Sharma assumed the role of India’s full-time captain, succeeding Virat Kohli last year, there were high expectations surrounding his leadership, given his exceptional track record as the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, India experienced setbacks under Rohit’s captaincy, such as the loss in the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup and the final of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC).

Rahane said “Playing under Rohit feels very good. The WTC final was my first game under Rohit. He gives freedom to all players to back their game. This is the sign of a good captain. Our equation is really good,”

Criticism has been directed at Rohit for his captaincy, with Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar recently expressing disappointment with India’s performance under his leadership. Nonetheless, Rahane chooses to offer praise for Rohit’s abilities as a captain.