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Sanjay Bangar, the former India batting coach, has offered advice to captain Rohit Sharma, encouraging him to maintain his commitment to building runs steadily during the initial phases of the game before shifting gears ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The scintillating batting display by the Indian skipper in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023, along with his explosive innings of 81 runs from just 57 deliveries during the third ODI against Australia on September 27, comes as a heartening development for the Indian cricket team as they head for the ODI World Cup 2023.
However, despite Rohit’s ongoing stellar form, Bangar shared that he expects the Mumbai-born cricketer to play a different role for his side in the upcoming grand ICC event.
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‘An accumulator’: Sanjay Bangar on Rohit Sharma
Bangar stressed the importance of Rohit returning to his traditional “accumulator role” as an opening batter instead of continually adopting an aggressive stance in the initial phase of his innings. While acknowledging the recent penchant for an aggressive approach, he believes that the right-handed batter should prioritize patience and aim for the substantial centuries he is well-known for.
“I feel the one of an accumulator (what role should he play?). He is someone who has had phenomenal success as an ODI player. And many times that he has scored his hundred, it’s around the 30th over. All those 3 double hundreds that we speak of and rave of so much, the acceleration came toward the last 10-12 overs where he just toys with the bowling,” Bangar said on Star Sports.
‘He can afford to play the accumulator’
Bangar expressed that if Rohit takes a more restrained approach in his batting innings until the 35th over, it will significantly increase India’s chances of consistently achieving totals in excess of 350.
The former all-rounder also highlighted the emergence of fellow opener Shubman Gill as a fearless batter, which should further allow Rohit to take his time and build a solid foundation before going for the attack.
“So a dangerous Rohit Sharma, if he gets to that 35-over mark, then India is assured of a score of around 350. If he sticks to that sort of a template, I know he is trying to do certain other things, maybe take the game away from the bowlers, but he has got a phenomenal, fearless Shubman Gill, he can afford to play the accumulator which will guarantee that India will get a big total,” the 50-year-old added.
