Former Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar has provided details regarding Rohit Sharma’s managerial style, citing instances from their collaboration.
Rohit quit as captain and declared his retirement from Test cricket prior to the 2025 series against England. Before he retired, he supervised a series victory over New Zealand at home, halting India’s winning run at home. He also led the team in three Test matches during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India lost a five-match series 3-1.
“We had Rohit Sharma as captain, and I remember him coming out after the Mumbai Test [vs New Zealand] and saying in the press conference, ‘It’s okay,'” Abhishek Nayar said, referring to an incident that happened after the New Zealand series.
He explained how Rohit would take the initiative to accept responsibility when the team performed poorly or lost and would not place the blame elsewhere.
We’ve won a lot of series, but we lost this one, and I’ll accept responsibility. Rohit was just that. There was always that aspect in him that could make the team feel better and lighten the atmosphere. Naturally, everyone is hurt when India loses. “But the one thing he did exceptionally well was look after his players.
“He would consider who hadn’t scored runs, who had been most impacted, and how he could cheer them up. The aspect of Rohit that I found most admirable was his constant acceptance of responsibility. He would never publicly accuse someone of doing anything by saying, “You did this” or “You did that.” Rather, he would raise his hand and declare, “I failed.”
Speaking on JioStar, Abhishek Nayar stated, “You would never hear him making excuses or throwing someone under the bus.”
According to Abhishek Nayar, Rohit efficiently communicated with his teammates in his role as captain, ensuring that each player understood what he was saying. Rohit took the time to explain the decision to Sanju Samson, who was left off the playing XI for the 2024 T20 World Cup final, according to Abhishek Nayar.
“I recall Rohit’s absence from the Sydney Test. Nevertheless, he stepped out, conducted the interview, and expressed himself clearly. He never sugarcoated things. The squad trusted him because of this. Even now, young cricket players would talk highly of Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
They’ll tell you that even though he reprimanded them, they took it seriously as they understood it was motivated by real concern and trust.He had outstanding communication skills as a captain. After being excluded from the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, Sanju Samson also discussed it.
Rohit was worried about Sanju’s mood, so even though he wasn’t playing, he made sure to talk to him before the toss. The presence of Rohit Sharma made those challenging times somewhat easier,” he continued.
Rohit is anticipated to represent India in the three-match ODI series in England. His most recent outing in the series against Afghanistan saw him score 143 runs at a strike rate of 115.32 in three games, with a best score of 79.
