R Ashwin backed the aggressive approach adopted by India captain Rohit Sharma during the World Cup 2023.
Rohit adopted an aggressive and dynamic approach that became a hallmark of his team’s strategy. His intent was to set a rapid pace in the initial overs, often taking the attack to the opposition and laying a solid foundation for the innings. This tactic was evident throughout the tournament, as Sharma consistently aimed to give India a strong start.
Sharma’s batting prowess was on full display during the World Cup, where he amassed a total of 597 runs in 11 matches, making him the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament after his teammate Virat Kohli. His strike rate of 125 underscored his ability to score quickly and efficiently. In particular, Sharma excelled during the powerplay overs, where he scored 354 runs at a striking rate of 133, including a barrage of boundaries with 42 fours and 21 sixes.
However, the Indian captain had been criticized for not converting his starts, especially in the final, where he had scored 47 runs off 31 balls. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin backed Rohit’s approach and said it is the intent that matters.
“Rohit Sharma does not need to be taught to score hundreds. It is the intent which counts. Shreyas Iyer’s wicket fell at a very important time in the final,” said Ashwin.
Ashwin also lamented the loss of Shreyas Iyer’s wicket early in the final and also praised the Indian batter for working on his short ball issues.
“Spinners were clobbered by Iyer and it was a setback that we could not get that in the final. He took an oath to master the pull shot and faced countless balls and worked on it. He got out a couple of times to it, but look at the number of short balls he hit for boundaries.”
