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Rohit Sharma Recalls Childhood Struggles and Crucial Role of His Coach in Recognizing His Potential

image-lkmi1itxRohit Sharma scored a match-defining fifty against South Africa in T20 World Cup 2007 (Twitter)

Overcoming adversity to attain stardom, Rohit Sharma, a familiar name in the cricketing world, personifies the fearlessness and courage of the Indian youth. The Indian captain’s story of struggle, and ultimate success is both inspirational and enlightening.

Rohit opened up on his childhood coach and early struggles

Born into the confines of a middle-class family in Nagpur, where financial comfort was an elusive luxury, young Rohit was forced to navigate the stormy waves of life at a tender age.

Within this rigorous framework of survival, the seeds of an extraordinary cricketing career were sown and nurtured, and little did anyone know that the boy from Mumbai would go on to become one of the greatest batters the world has ever seen.

In an emotive recount of his childhood on The Tara Sharma Show on YouTube, Rohit opened up about his early encounters with the sport and the influential role of his childhood coach, Dinesh Lad.

"For someone to come and recognize my skills at that age says that I had some sort of skill set," he began, speaking of how his passion for the game budded as he watched summer camps from afar, nurturing the dream to be part of the cricketing milieu someday.

Overcoming obstacles that seemed unconquerable at the time, he secured admission into the summer camp at the age of 11, a milestone that was the outcome of a joint family endeavour. His talent didn't go unnoticed, as he recalled his childhood coach recognizing his potential.

“We had a good team, we qualified for the finals and that’s when Dinesh Lad came and saw my potential as he was the coach of the team we were playing against in the final," added Rohit.



This encounter would significantly shape his future, opening up opportunities to compete and succeed at a higher level. The Indian veteran’s journey, however, was not devoid of emotional struggles. 

"I changed the school which I was not quite happy about because I lost all my friends, I was crying for three days saying I am going to miss my friends," the opener shared.

These sacrifices, however, bore fruit as he began to thrive in his new school environment, winning accolades that validated his decision.

The physical separation from his parents posed yet another challenge. Rohit was distanced from his parents' home in Dombivli, a Mumbai suburb, to reside with his uncle in Borivali, another suburban corner of the bustling city.



"I wasn’t staying with my parents. That was a big struggle to go and see them every weekend but my parents wanted me to live my dream," confessed Rohit.

Watch the entire interview


From watching cricket from the sidelines to leading Team India across all formats, Rohit's journey has been inspirational, to say the least. Already having an illustrious IPL career, with five tiless under his belt, the 36-year-old is now set to display his leadership skills on the international stage.

As we approach Asia Cup 2023 next month, followed by ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024, the stage is set for Rohit to script his legacy. The opportunity couldn't be timelier, as these two World Cups are likely to be the curtain call of his splendid career.