He credited the captain and the team management for bold decisions in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Recently retired from Test cricket in a shocking turn of events, Rohit Sharma has set his sights on the 2027 Cricket World Cup. Having led India to a T20 World Cup title last year and the Champions Trophy 2025 triumph earlier this year, Sharma’s ultimate dream is to win the coveted fifty-over tournament.
Former India pacer Praveen Kumar heaped high praise on the India captain for bringing two ICC trophies after a decade-long drought.
Praveen Kumar, who has shared the dressing room with Rohit and India head coach Gautam Gambhir, had nothing but praise for his former teammates. Speaking to CricXtacy on an episode of The CX Pod EXCLUSIVES, he credited the pair for proper planning for ICC tournaments.
When asked about what separates Rohit Sharma from other captains, Praveen pointed out planning and strategies as key aspects.
“Strategy matters a lot. For any big tournament, strategy planning starts one or two years in advance. The captain has a crucial role in that. So do the coach and selectors. You need to think through everything. These are high-pressure tournaments. It was brilliant leadership,” said Praveen.
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During the Champions Trophy, Team India did not travel to India, and all their matches, including the semi-final and final, were held in Dubai. There was a huge outcry among cricket fans that India had an advantage.
With Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of the tournament, India needed to try something different. They brought in Varun Chakravarthy as a trump card.
Praveen Kumar stated that playing four spinners throughout the tournament was a gutsy move by the captain and the management.
“Playing with four spinners—many didn’t expect that. It was a bold and strategic move. A gutsy one—to go in with four spinners on those pitches. Especially, without Jasprit Bumrah,” he added.
Rohit Sharma is now a one-format player, having retired from T20I and Test cricket. He aims to lead India in the next World Cup to be played in South Africa.
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