Rohit Sharma is a captain who has led Mumbai Indians to 5 titles in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Yet, some feel he doesn't get the sort of credit he deserves for his leadership. After uncapped pacer Akash Madhwal led MI to a crucial victory over Luknow Super Giants in the Eliminator with a fifer, Rohit received plenty of praise from the cricketing fraternity for allowing the young pacer the opportunity to deliver at this stage. But, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar doesn't feel Rohit gets the sort of credit that Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni does.
"Of course, he is underrated," Gavaskar told India Today, reflecting on Rohit Sharma's captaincy. "The man has won five titles for Mumbai Indians. Let me give you an example. Maddhwal got Ayush Badoni, bowling over the wicket. He then went round the wicket to the left-hander Nicholas Pooran. Not a lot of bowlers necessarily do that because if they get their rhythm going bowling over the wicket, they will stick to over the wicket even it's a left-hander. They will try to the ball away from the left-hander. But he went around the wicket and produced an absolute gem of a delivery and got the man out."
The cricketing spectrum has been hailing Dhoni for unleashing another talent in the form of Tushar Deshpande this year. He has also been hailed for the resurgene of the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube this year. Gavaskar, hence, feels if it was Dhoni under whom Madhwal had given such a performance, the world would've been talking about the 41-year-old leadership at great length. But, that isn't the case with Rohit.
"If that had been CSK and Dhoni was the captain. Everybody would have said 'Dhoni plotted Nicholas Pooran's dismissal. This is what happens to a great extent. There is also a little bit of hype, things sometimes work out," Gavaskar added.
"The captaincy situation as well. Remember, Nehal Wadhera was used as an impact player batting first. Teams generally don't use batters as Impact Player when they are batting first. But Rohit used Nehwal when MI were batting first against LSG. So please give him credit for that as well," the batting legend further said.