Virender Sehwag was full of praise for Rohit Sharma’s leadership after India hammered New Zealand by four wickets on Sunday (March 9) to win the Champions Trophy 2025 title. In the summit clash played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Rohit Sharma-led side first restricted New Zealand to 251/7 after Mitchell Santner opted to bat first and then chased down the 252-run target in 49 overs for the loss of six wickets.
India’s win in the final on Sunday helped Rohit become the second Indian after MS Dhoni and the overall fifth captain in the world to win multiple ICC trophies.
Impressed by Rohit’s captaincy for India, Sehwag, while speaking on the Cricbuzz show, said that the 37-year-old right-handed batter takes everyone with him, and that’s a special quality. He was also very impressed with Rohit’s smart use of bowling resources in the eight-team tournament, which India won with a 100% win record.
“We underrate his captaincy, but after these two trophies, he became the second (Indian) captain after MS Dhoni to win multiple ICC titles. The way the captain has used his bowlers, the way he has handled the team, the way he has guided the team, and whatever communication he does, he does it very clearly. Whether it’s playing Harshit Rana first ahead of Arshdeep Singh or then bringing in Varun Chakravarty in place of Harshit Rana, he has done good communication with his players, and that was important. That’s why Rohit Sharma is a better captain.”
“He thinks less about himself, more about his team, his teammates. He makes them comfortable. He realises that if a player has insecurity, then his performance will not come. That’s why he doesn’t let anyone feel insecure in that team. He takes everyone with him. This is the need for a better captain and leader. And Rohit Sharma is doing it very well,” Sehwag added.
