Rohit Sharma at the 2023 World Cup (x.com)
England Test coach and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has heaped extensive praise on India’s current all-format skipper Rohit Sharma. McCullum, currently in Bengaluru for RCB’s Innovation Lab’s Leader’s Meet, will soon be helming England’s travelling troops for a five-match Test series against Sharma and co., all set to take place within the first quarter of 2024.
McCullum speaks on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy
Brendon McCullum praised Indian captain Rohit Sharma and described his leadership style a “bold” one.
A former New Zealand skipper himself, the cricketer-turned-coach believes Sharma not only takes the game head on, but he also has the gift of an Indian talent pool through which he can achieve significant feats in his career, for Team India as well as for Mumbai Indians. He said:
"Yeah. I like his captaincy. I think his captaincy is bold. He takes risks, and he takes the game on. And when you add the talent base of India to these kinds of tactics, then he can achieve very good things. He has been a great leader for not just India but for Mumbai Indians over the years as well."
Brendon McCullum was appointed as England’s Test coach back in mid-2022, in the wake of the team’s successive series losses under previous management. The New Zealander, alongside newly-appointed skipper Ben Stokes, re-invented England’s Test approach with tactical and calculated aggression, one which led them to unprecedented success over the subsequent 18 months.
McCullum and Stokes will now be aiming to bring the same intent to Indian shores against Rohit Sharma and co. early next year, considering the two red-ball titans are slated to engage in a five-match Test series between January 25 till March 11.
The first India versus England Test match will be hosted by Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, and the fixtures constitute a part of the ongoing 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
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