While the end of 2021 turned sour for Rohit Sharma as an injury prevented him from being in South Africa, he completed a journey full of events from underachiever, white-ball giants to secure Test openerPort Elizabeth, February 13, 2018: 2013 Ke Pehle jo bhi hua, woh sab chhod do.
2013 se mujhe Pucho Sawal.
(Forget whatever happened before 2013.
Ask a question about what had happened in 2013 and beyond).
It was Rohit Sharma on a windy afternoon in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, addressing the media after his 126-ball 115 helped India take an unassailable 4-1 lead in the six-match ODI series.
It may not happen at the time, but the Mumbai cricket, perhaps for the first time in his career, is looking to put a finger on where and how it all started, trying to get a perspective of what the future held.
2013 is an important year for Sharma.
He won his first IPL as captain that year.
In November 2013, he got the first ODI double hundred.
He won the Champions League T20 and make a Test debut.
In 2014, he was followed by a confusing 264.
In 2015 he played his first 50-over World Cup, after the horrors of losing the 2011 edition have taught her well.
In the same year, he won the IPL again as captain.
In 2016, came the unbeaten 171 at the WACA.
ODI double hundred other IPL title came in 2017.
Most of the white ball cricket he played turned to gold.
It is also about 24 months before the 2019 50-over World Cup, where Rohit would go on to accumulate 648 runs, second only to Sachin Tendulkar and Matthew Hayden.
As captain of the IPL, he has won four titles and gunning for a fifth.
What is next? The question looming.
White-ball was appointed vice-captain Virat Kohli to the mysterious, Sharma has taken the time to come into its own.
Port Elizabeth statement suggested that two point-of-view to the outside: A) He does not really amazed cricket its pre-2013; B) After 2013, he has worked back road in the pecking order through sheer brilliance.
He waited.
Rohit Sharma.
(Photo by Pankaj nangia / Getty Images) Rohit Sharma.
(Photo by Pankaj nangia / Getty Images) The thing about the Indian team captain is, nobody who had rushed to grab it had received it on the plate.
Raj Singh Dungarpur of the famous ‘Miya, kaptaan banoge?’ line for Mohammed Azharuddin to Sourav Ganguly took over in the most advantageous situation in 19992000, to MS Dhoni made his own space and then Virat Kohli took the order – the captain did not come easily to those who deserve it.
Do Sharma deserve it? In the white cricket balls, the debate remains very lean in his favor for a while now, but it should be at the expense of teammate Kohli.
It happened in 2021 and started in 2022, Sharma finally had the opportunity to speak for itself.
Ghosts of 2011 is not buried yet.
He did not forget that he saw the final at Wankhede Stadium as a spectator.
ill, while he did not openly say, can be cured only with a different title.
It will be a script Sharma as captain when he joined hands with Rahul Dravid – the first for the T20 World Cup in 2022 and then for the ODI World Cup in 2023.
Two years is a career swansong often decorated with adjectives like-most -talented, in alami- talented, enigmatic-puller, born captain.
He knew, none of this will matter to him if he did not make the most of this opportunity.
Rohit Sharma.
(Photo by Alex Davidson / Getty Images) For credit goes BCCI gives Sharma this leadership role.
In any profession, as in cricket, sustained performance over a long period should be recognized with pay hikes, promotions and a greater leadership role.
consistent performances in the Test series in England and his hundred at The Oval to win the match in the second half of the fourth Test, the first overseas Test, sealed the deal.
Having announced as captain of the white-red-ball ball and the vice-captain, Sharma unfortunately injured and missed the trip to South Africa.
But 2022 is a year full of white-ball engagement that will keep him busy.
To lean on, he had his first captain, Rahul Dravid as coach, teammates Kohli and a box-office performer that is bound to leave him spoiled for choice.
What he makes from now will carve out his legacy.
Rohit Sharma.
(Photo by Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)