• Home
  • Player Stories
  • When Rohit Credited Ms Dhoni For His Career Changing Move That Rekindle His Career

When Rohit Credited MS Dhoni For His 'Career-Changing' Move That Rekindle His Career  

image-ls35m4c5Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni (X.COM)

Rohit Sharma, one of India's prominent cricketers, has attributed his success in ODI to MS Dhoni's decision to assign him the role of opening batsman before the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. Sharma considers Dhoni's move to be pivotal in transforming his career. In his first match after the move, Rohit struck 83 off 93 balls against England in a successful chase of 258.

In India's successful campaign in the Champions Trophy, Rohit scored 177 runs and two fifties in five matches at an average of 35.40, including 65 off 81 balls in the tournament opener against South Africa. Later that year, he also scored 209 while opening against Australia in Bangalore and set a world record a year later against Sri Lanka by amassing 264 runs on his own.


Rohit in an exclusive interview credited MS Dhoni for his 'career-changing' move

“I believe the decision to open in ODIs changed my career and it was a decision taken by MS Dhoni. I became a better batsman after that. In fact it helped me understand my game better, react better according to situations.” 

Rohit also added he recollects how he was approached it was in the customary MSD style,

“He (Dhoni) just came up to me and said I want you to open the innings as I am confident that you will do well. Since you can play both cut and pull shot well, you have the qualities to succeed as an opener". He told me that I shouldn’t be scared of failures or get upset by criticism. He was looking at the bigger picture as the Champions Trophy was scheduled in England that year.” 

The veteran opener’s career is studded with milestones and records that have elevated the bar in international cricket. From scoring the highest individual runs in an ODI to smashing the most centuries in T20Is, his records are as impressive as they are numerous. Rohit as an opener has smashed 8679 runs in 173 innings with a striking average of 55.63 and a superb strike rate of 95.44.