Former South African dashing batter AB de Villiers has defended the Indian veteran opening batter Rohit Sharma for playing a crucial role in India’s plans for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, which is scheduled to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The former South African cricketer pointed out the difference created by the veteran batting duo in the Indian ODI squad in the recently concluded India’s ODI series against England, which the visitors lost by 1-2.
“You can see the difference that Virat and Rohit make in the team and the kind of belief they bring back into the side,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Rohit, who struggled in the initial two ODIs, smacked a magnificent 138-run knock off 110 balls in the third and final ODI at Lord’s. While his knock wasn’t enough to take India over the winning line, AB insisted that India needs big match players like him in the 2027 World Cup.
“He’s never been the most consistent player for a long period of time, a little bit up and down consistency-wise. But when the big matches present themselves, the big moments, Rohit Sharma needs to be in your side,” he added.
“You just can’t buy that at the supermarket, guys. What Virat and Rohit bring to the party, especially in pressure moments, changes everything,” he noted.
“You need that kind of experience in big tournaments. When you play big tournaments, it’s not your usual five-match ODI series in some country where there’s not a huge hype, or you’re not playing a different opposition every game. There’s a whole different kind of pressure when it comes to ODI World Cups and big tournaments, and that’s why I feel Rohit will play a big, big part,” he concluded.
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