"He is a captain's nightmare.."- Ashwin recalls Virat Kohli's verdict on India star

As the 2023 ODI World Cup approaches, Rohit Sharma has been looking in sublime form with the bat. With three half-centuries in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, Rohit's current form proves to be a boon for India in preparation for the World Cup. The team holds high hopes that the Indian skipper will sustain this level of performance in the upcoming marquee event.

Rohit's cricketing prowess is widely recognized on the global stage and within the Indian dressing room. In a recent video featuring veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, the spinner recounted an incident involving him and Virat Kohli. Ashwin disclosed that Kohli inquired about the most formidable challenge for a captain, and promptly, he named Rohit Sharma.

"5-6 years back, Virat Kohli and I had a discussion while Rohit was batting. I don’t remember which match it was. Seeing Rohit bat, I was thinking, ‘Where do you even bowl to him?’," Ravichandran Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel. 

India will depend heavily on the top prder for success in ODI World Cup

"If Rohit is set after 15-20 overs, you wouldn’t know where to bowl him. Virat asked me, ‘Do you know who is a captain’s nightmare at the death?’ I asked ‘Is it (MS) Dhoni?’," he added.

"Kohli was like, ‘No, it is Rohit. When I asked him why, he said you won’t know where to bowl’. If Rohit Sharma is batting at the end of the 16th over in a T20, where will you bowl? He has got all the shots in the book and once he played an extraordinary knock in Chinnaswamy Stadium that Kohli can never forget, it seems," Ashwin concluded.

ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer takes part in optional practice session, rejoins squad ahead of Bangladesh clash

There is a clear consensus that the Indian team will rely heavily on the proficiency of their top-order batters to secure World Cup glory after a span of 12 years. The contributions of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill will be pivotal for the host nation's success.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.