Rohit to Gill: Indian cricketers who switched roles and thrived
What's the story
Indian cricket has seen its fair share of legends, with many players earning global recognition for their skills. While some players shine right from the start, others take time to find their footing. There have also been many players who have rediscovered themselves after a shift in role. In this article, we highlight three Indian cricketers who changed their fortunes after switching roles.
#1
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma's early international career was marked by inconsistency, despite his domestic success.
He struggled to find a permanent place in the Indian team until 2013, when he was asked to open the innings in ODIs.
The decision changed everything for Rohit, who went on to become one of India's greatest openers with three double centuries and an ODI high score of 264 runs.
His Test fortunes also changed after becoming an opener in 2019.
#2
VVS Laxman
While Rohit thrived after switching from the middle order to an opener, VVS Laxman's case was exactly the opposite.
He got several chances as a Test opener in his initial years but struggled with inconsistency.
Laxman averaged a paltry 28.6 across 13 Test matches as an opener between 1997 and 2000.
However, the batter's best was unleashed after he was dropped down the order.
Laxman, who scored the famous 281 in the 2001 Kolkata Test against Australia, bowed out with 8,781 Test runs at 45.97.
#3
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill struggled to justify his talent in the Test arena in his initial years.
He opened the batting early on before switching to number three.
However, his best came out after becoming the skipper and taking the number-four spot following Virat Kohli's Test retirement.
Before his captaincy, the star batter had an ordinary average of 35.05 after 32 Tests.
Across 11 Test matches as captain, he has scored 1,150 runs at a jaw-dropping average of 71.87.