Former South African middle-order batter AB de Villiers has backed the Indian talismanic opening batter Rohit Sharma to play a pivotal role in the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 despite not being a consistent player for a long period of time.
Despite India suffering a 1-2 ODI series defeat to England away from home, the former South African cricketer pointed out the difference created by the veteran batting duo in the Indian ODI squad.
“You can see the difference that Virat and Rohit make in the team and the kind of belief they bring back into the side,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
While Rohit struggled in the first two ODIs, scoring 11 and 26, he smacked a magnificent 138-run knock off 110 balls in the third and final ODI at Lord’s. Though his knock couldn’t take his side over the line, AB reckoned that India needs big match players like Hitman in the mega event.
“He’s never been the most consistent player for a long period of time, a little bit up and down consistency-wise. But when the big matches present themselves, the big moments, Rohit Sharma needs to be in your side,” he added.
“You just can’t buy that at the supermarket, guys. What Virat and Rohit bring to the party, especially in pressure moments, changes everything,” he noted.
“You need that kind of experience in big tournaments. When you play big tournaments, it’s not your usual five-match ODI series in some country where there’s not a huge hype, or you’re not playing a different opposition every game. There’s a whole different kind of pressure when it comes to ODI World Cups and big tournaments, and that’s why I feel Rohit will play a big, big part,” he concluded.
India’s next ODI series will be a three-match home series against the West Indies, starting on Sunday, September 27, as the team shifts its focus to preparations for the mega event.
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