Former India captain Rohit Sharma is not only a world-class cricketer but also known for his light-hearted, entertaining way of scolding younger players on the field. His opening partner for the South Africa ODIs, Yashasvi Jaiswal, revealed that it actually feels strange when Rohit does not pull up his juniors, as his remarks are often laced with humour and affection.
During his tenure as India’s Test captain, Rohit became famous for his witty reactions to fielding slip-ups, moments that frequently
turned into viral memes. Reflecting on his experience, Jaiswal, who scored his maiden ODI century in Visakhapatnam while stitching significant partnerships with both Virat Kohli and Rohit, shared how the senior duo’s presence brings immense motivation and energy to the dressing room.
“Every time Rohit bhai scolds us, it has a lot of love and indulgence mixed with it. In fact, if Rohit bhai isn’t scolding you, there is a sense of unease as to what happened, why isn’t he scolding. Has he felt bad about my action,” Jaiswal said during ‘Agenda Aaj Tak’ conclave.
“When they (RoKo) are there, it is great for us as they discuss the game. They share their experiences. The intensity with which they have played and won games for India, they are like inspiration. They tell us about the mistakes they made in their younger days and how we can avoid making those mistakes. When they aren’t there, we all miss them. If they are there, we all feel relaxed. When I was playing the third ODI, Rohit bhai told me to relax and remain calm and take time as he would take risks. How many people will do that? Similarly, Virat paaji, gave me small targets and told me that we will have to win it ourselves,” he added.
Jaiswal, however, sidestepped questions about his chances of making the settled T20 World Cup squad and also shared his thoughts on captaining the Indian team.
“My dream is to play in the T20 World Cup but I try to focus on my game and will wait for my time. Yes, if I get a chance, I would like to lead India,” said Jaiswal.
