Team India captain Rohit Sharma didn't have the best of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he could only manage 268 runs in 14 games in the elite T20 competition for the Mumbai Indians (MI). Rohit Sharma's struggles with the bat looked profound throughout the competition and he looked in all sorts of problems against opposition bowlers. Now his childhood coach Dinesh Lad has broken his silence on the Mumbaikar's issues.
Dinesh Lad, a well-known figure in Mumbai's coaching circles, who groomed current Indian team skipper Rohit Sharma during his formative years has said that the talismanic cricketer should have played some part in the T20I series against South Africa.
But Dinesh Lad who has seen Rohit Sharma grow from strength to strength also claimed that his decision to take some time away from cricket would benefit him in the long run.
According to Dinesh Lad, the break would have made Rohit Sharma mentally refreshed for the challenges ahead, including the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
“Bad performance doesn't mean Rohit is a bad player. Vacation for him is a good idea as players need to be relaxed after playing continuous cricket and being away from family,” Dinesh Lad told India TV in an interview.
“Opting out of the SA series is his personal view, but I want him to be mentally relaxed. Yes, if he would have played, it might have turned out to be a great scoring opportunity for him. Rest, I know his nature. Once he starts practising, he just thinks about cricket. I am sure he will have a big hand to play in the World Cup down-under. But yes, he should have played at least two matches,” Dinesh Lad added.
“Rohit is the sort of player who churns out best performances after spending time at the crease. I believe if he stays at the crease for some time, he becomes a very dangerous batsman,” he argued.
Dinesh Lad also made a big prediction about Rohit Sharma's future, saying that the only man to score three double hundreds in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) has two more years to give to the national team.
Rohit Sharma who is regarded as one of the best pullers of a cricket ball has struggled with the pull shot in recent times, and Dinesh Lad reckons that the 35-year-old cricket star perhaps has lost his control over that stroke.
“I feel he'll be able to play cricket for another 2 years. If he's feeling that he's getting out while playing the pull shot, he should control it. Yes, of course, age is a factor, and he's been playing cricket continuously, but I don't think he has ever taken pressure. But yes, he should concentrate on his fitness as age is definitely a factor,” Lad stated.
Dinesh Lad, however, didn't just stop at Rohit Sharma. He also discussed the impact of IPL on Indian cricket and whether he was in favour of performances in the league becoming a criterion for selection in the national team.
He even went on to say that picking players straightaway from the IPL wasn't a good idea. He has seen cricketers struggling in international games after being chosen to represent their country after a successful stint in the IPL. This is why he wanted the likes of Umran Malik, Mukesh Choudhary, and Mohsin Khan to play in domestic cricket before getting an opportunity to represent the nation on the international stage.
“They should play more domestic cricket. Last time also, a few players got selected based on IPL performances in the World Cup, and the result was for everyone to see. A direct chance in the Indian team is not a good choice in my opinion. Players like Mukesh, Umran, and Mohsin should first play for India A,” said Dinesh Lad.
“Umran Malik and Mukesh impressed me the most. Both bowled beautifully. Rajat Patidar and Tripathi are 29-30 years old, you cannot call them youngsters. Jaiswal can get opportunities. But again, all of them should first play domestic and India A first,” the renowned coach insisted.
Dinesh Lad was asked to give his opinion on the swirling rumours that selectors were thinking about phasing out both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from India's T20I line-up.
Recent reports have even suggested that the star batters may not be a part of India's contingent for the T20 World Cup Down Under and the selectors may appoint a new face to lead the side in Australia.
“I do not agree with this. One IPL cannot decide this. If both of them play at their best, India will definitely win the World Cup,” Dinesh Lad shot back.
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