Rohit Sharma Delights in Leading India’s Emerging Talent

Despite an initial loss in the first Test of the five-match World Test Championship series, India bounced back to secure victory in the remaining four matches. This impressive performance propelled them to the top of the global rankings.

While seasoned players like R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rohit Sharma himself made significant contributions, it was India’s emerging talent that truly shone against a tenacious English side. Standout performances came from Yashasvi Jaiswal, the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2024, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Akash Deep.

India’s victory was celebrated on social media with the hashtags #WTC25 and #INDvENG.

Rohit Sharma expressed his admiration for the young players’ attitude, attributing their success to the supportive environment created for them.

“Working with these young players and seeing them perform has been a joy,” Rohit said. “We focused on reminding them of their past successes and encouraging them to maintain their performance levels. The response we received was fantastic. These players were ready for the challenge, and we did our best to make them feel comfortable.”

Rohit also shared his emotional experience of witnessing the debuts of these young players, particularly highlighting the journey of Akash Deep.

“Seeing their parents there, the emotion was palpable. I’ve played with Sarfaraz’s father in the Kanga League. His years of effort have now borne fruit. It was a touching moment to tell him that this Test cap belongs as much to him as to Sarfaraz,” Rohit added.

Rohit then highlighted the crucial moments in the series, praising the performances of Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Dhruv Jurel.

“There were many moments where individuals stepped up and turned the game in our favor. Bumrah’s spell in Vizag was unreal. Jaiswal’s double hundred in the same Test was crucial for our victory. Throughout the series, Jadeja and Ash consistently delivered with both bat and ball,” Rohit said.

Rohit also had special praise for Kuldeep Yadav, who made significant contributions with both bat and ball.

“Kuldeep Yadav’s performance was particularly pleasing. He took crucial wickets in the four Tests and also made valuable contributions with the bat. He has worked hard and it was good to see him reaping the rewards,” Rohit added.

He identified the resilient 76-run stand between Jurel and Kuldeep in Ranchi as the series-defining moment. This partnership helped lift India from 177/7 to 307 in response to England’s 353. India’s spinners then bowled out England cheaply in the third innings, eventually sealing the game and the series by five wickets on the fourth day.

“That partnership between Jurel and Kuldeep in Ranchi turned out to be a series-defining partnership. It won us the series, because otherwise we would’ve been 2-2. And in the fourth innings, Gill and Jurel also crafted a crucial partnership after we lost three quick wickets, and won us the game,” Rohit concluded.