T20 World Cup 2024: Former India great compares Rohit Sharma’s captaincy with legendary Kapil Dev

Under the able captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India have qualified for the final of the ongoing T20 World Cup after beating England in the second semifinal. The Men in Blue will meet South Africa in the final on Saturday.

Rohit , who succeeded Virat Kohli as India’s captain across all formats, has instilled a more aggressive playing style that has propelled the team’s dominance.

Ahead of the much awaited summit clash, former India batter Kris Srikkanth drew comparisons between Sharma and the legendary Kapil Dev. The former aggressive opener drew parallels between current Indian captain Rohit and legendary Kapil Dev, who led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup.

“I generally avoid comparing eras and captains. However, I see an interesting parallel between the 1983 World Cup and the current tournament. In this World Cup, Rohit Sharma has emerged as a clear leader, stepping up to play a pivotal role. As he put it, ‘I’ll take the lead and start playing the risky shots.’ Sharma has delivered with a series of fantastic performances and knocks. Buoyed by his leadership, the rest of the team has rallied around him, leading to strong results across the board,” said Srikkanth.

“As a group, you need all members. Perhaps it will be Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, or perhaps Axar Patel with 10 or 12 runs. Rohit Sharma is very efficient in managing his bowlers, that’s his best quality. For example, in the last match against England, he brought in Axar Patel in the fourth over and Patel took the crucial wicket of Buttler. What I admire about Sharma is his calmness and composure on the field – a calming presence similar to what Kapil Dev provided. It’s not just one person, but the entire team contributing to their success. As a captain and leader, Sharma has done an excellent job of uniting the team, which is crucial,” he added.