NEW DELHI: Former India left-arm pacer
Zaheer Khan
on Monday praised
Rohit Sharma
as a leader who backs up his words with actions. He believes that Rohit will make substantial contributions both as a captain and a batsman in the upcoming five-Test series against
England
.
"Everyone knows of the influence and impact that Rohit has had on the whole group," Zaheer said on JioCinema.
Zaheer emphasised that the standout feature of Rohit's captaincy is his excellent communication skills.
"He talks about communication. He gives enough confidence to every player and brings out the best in them.
"That has been the hallmark of his captaincy and he leads from the front as seen in the World Cup. He walks the talk.
"When you have a leader walking the talk, it gives you better efficiency within the whole group. So, I think he's a proven leader."
Since assuming the role of an opener in Test matches, Rohit has experienced significant success, marked by notable achievements such as scoring impressive centuries in challenging playing conditions.
"You've seen him adapt nicely in England when it came to leaving the ball. He said that he had worked a lot on it," Zaheer said.
"You've seen that in Chennai when he played a match-defining knock. Winning the toss, batting first and getting the opposition completely out in the first innings and being instrumental in that, is something which gives satisfaction to any player playing at the highest level.
"So, he's had that kind of impact as well. You will see something on those lines in this series (against England). It's a five-Test series so there will be a lot on his mind, not just as a batter but also as a leader.
"He has to work it out with
Rahul Dravid
and the selectors to see how he can rotate players.
"Both teams will be looking to do that because a five-Test series brings its own challenges and you got to be staying on top of that tactically, planning about the resources who are more useful in which conditions and get the maximum impact from every individual," Zaheer said.
The series against England begins in Hyderabad on Thursday.
(With PTI inputs)
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