Former England captain Michael Vaughan lauded Indian captain Rohit Sharma for his fantastic chemistry with Virat Kohli as well as his mastery of all other aspects of leadership.
Team India has been in fantastic form throughout the 2023 World Cup, winning all ten games and easily reaching to the final. The Men in Blue, led by Rohit, have breezed through the competition and will face Australia in the grand finale.
Vaughan praised Rohit Sharma for taking over the captaincy from long-time skipper Kohli while retaining the correct chemistry in his Telegraph Cricket column.
“The dynamic with Kohli is remarkable. Kohli was captain for such a long time, and the most famous player in the game. Someone then knocked on his door to say that he wouldn’t be the captain anymore. For Rohit to take that on and manage all the different facets so well, is superb.”
Michael Vaughan
When India faced their first barrier of the tournament in the semi-final against New Zealand, the 2005 Ashes-winning skipper lauded Rohit’s captaincy.
“In the semi-final, India just had their first little wobble in the field. They had not fielded that well and the bowling wasn’t quite on, giving away too many extras. Rohit brought the team together at drinks, and they turned it around. I have no idea what he said, but it worked.”
Michael Vaughan
Rohit Sharma has been in outstanding form with the bat. He has scored 550 runs so far, maintaining an average of 55 and a strike rate of 124.15.
Meanwhile, Kohli is the leading run-scorer of the World Cup, with 711 runs at an other-worldly 101.57 average, including three centuries and five half-centuries.
“It’s not been a great tournament overall” – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan said that if India won the World Cup in 2023, they would be deserving victors. He also remarked that the event was a letdown overall.
Despite Pakistan and Afghanistan making a late push for the semi-finals, the top four teams were a clear conclusion for the majority of the tournament’s second half.
“India would be worthy World Cup winners if they could get over the line, but it’s not been a great tournament overall. There have just not been many close games. There have probably been four genuinely close games? In a 48-match tournament, that’s not enough. We’ve seen special moments, whether that’s Glenn Maxwell’s fastest World Cup hundred, his double-hundred, or Kohli’s 50th century, but there just hasn’t been that competitive edge of close games.”
Michael Vaughan
India is gearing up for their third ODI World Cup final, but for the Aussies, it’s their impressive eighth. The last time these two teams faced each other in such a decisive match was back in 2003. That year, the Team in Yellow succeeded, beating India by a notable 125 runs in Johanessburg.
This highly anticipated final is set to happen at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 19.