'Rohit has an abundance of natural talent'

Gurunath P. Sharma (Rohit Sharma's father):

"I'm very happy and humbly proud of my son Rohit, who has just begun to bring laurels, not only for his family but also for the country. I've never doubted his cricketing talents and always given him the much-needed encouragement and support. He is an extremely studious and level-headed boy. He has already played for Indian Under-17, Under-19 and India A teams. But I know he won't rest content till he makes it to Team India. Of course, he still has a lot to learn and also to improve his game a bit more. But I've no doubt that he'll do all that is required to be a better player than what he is today. The best thing about Rohit is his self-confidence which, if you observe carefully, always reflects in his approach to his batting. I'm sure success will never go to his head. It would be a very proud moment for all of us � his family � when he finally plays his maiden Test and One-Day International."

Pravin Amre (former India batsman, ex-chairman of national junior selection committee and the current coach of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy team):

"Rohit is an extremely talented cricketer; very, very promising. He has an abundance of natural talent. He makes batting looks so easy. He has a rich repertoire of exciting shots and he plays hook and pull with aplomb. There is no doubt that he has bright future in international cricket. I feel he should have been in the team for the Bangladesh tour. It isn't necessary to include him in the playing XI if there is no room for him. But to being a part of the team he can learn a lot by moving and interacting with the experienced Indian cricketers, something he may never have learnt in his whole life."

Balwinder Singh Sandhu (former Mumbai and India medium-pacer):

"Rohit hasn't played many first-class matches. And yet he has been very impressive at every level of the game. He has already proved his ability. The boy has a lot of potential. He is a very attractive batsman to watch. Doubtless he is one of the brightest prospects in the country. If nurtured well, he has the ability to make big and serve the country with distinction. He needs to correct certain flaws in his technique. Once he does that, he'll be a better and more dangerous batsman."

Paras Mhambrey (former Mumbai and India speedster):

"The thing to be noticed about Rohit is that he is very confident when he plays on the backfoot. His footwork is swift and reflexes are smooth. This enables him to time his shot well. He hits the ball really hard and looks naturally aggressive. No doubt he will get to represent Team India sooner or later. It should be interesting to wait and see how he fares at the highest level of the game. But there is not question about his potential."

Cheteshwar Pujara (Highly promising Saurashtra player, who played with Rohit Sharma for Indian Under-19 and India A teams):

"Rohit has always been a perfect team-man. He is a very good and inspiring company. He is simply terrific with the bat. He is very, very aggressive and can massacre any attack when the mood seizes him. He has all the shots in the book and he plays most of them with sweet timing. His square-cut and hook are always very attractive to watch. It is quite a sight when he hits the fast bowlers while going on the backfoot. He has abundance of natural talent. His bowling, too, is very, very good. If he works hard on his bowling, he will emerge as a very powerful all-rounder."

Reportage: Haresh Pandya
Design: Imran Shaikh

Also read:
Rohit Sharma 's profile		Rohit Sharma interview

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