Rohit Sharma should play aggressively in Champions Trophy: Suresh Raina
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer, Suresh Raina, has backed Rohit Sharma's aggressive batting ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Although India had a dismal outing last year in ODIs against Sri Lanka, where they didn't win a single match out of three, Rohit proved his mettle as an opener. He scored 157 runs at a stunning average of 52.33 and strike-rate of 141.44 in the series. Despite being out of form, Rohit's ODI credentials are in his favor.
Endorsement
Raina supports Rohit's aggressive approach
Raina has thrown his weight behind Rohit's aggressive approach. "I think Rohit should play aggressively. You saw how he batted in the ODI World Cup -- he was attacking even in the final," he said. He feels this will remain a part of Rohit's game plan. For the impending Champions Trophy, Raina is backing Shubman Gill as Rohit's opening partner and spoke about their shared aggressive intent while batting together.
Historic opportunity
Champions Trophy: A chance for Rohit to make history
Further, Raina emphasized the 2025 Champions Trophy could be Rohit's chance to create history in Indian cricket. "When Rohit scores runs, it also reflects in his captaincy. This could be his last ICC trophy as captain, and if he wins, he will become the first Indian player to win four ICC trophies," he said. He stressed scoring runs will be important for Rohit's success.
Consistent performance
Rohit's power-hitting skills on display
Rohit's consistent run was visible during the SL ODI series last year. He returned scores worth 58, 64, and 35 in the series. He continued to display his aggressive batting style which was first witnessed in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup. Despite India ending as runners-up after a defeat against Pat Cummins-led Australia, Rohit's attacking mindset remained unfazed. He also displayed this approach in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, guiding India to glory.
Milestones
Rohit eyes these feats in ODI cricket
Rohit is only 134 shy of completing 11,000 runs in ODI cricket. If he manages to do it in his next 19 innings, he will be the second-fastest to do so after Virat Kohli (222 innings). He would also surpass Sachin Tendulkar on the elite list. The Master Blaster touched this mark in 276 innings. Rohit also needs only two more to complete 50 hundreds in international cricket. He currently has 48 tons and 107 fifties across formats.