• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

India have made a promising start to their campaign in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, having won three out of the first three matches so far.

The Men in Blue kicked off the tournament with a win over five-time champions Australia, followed by a victory over Afghanistan.

They picked up a dominant victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in their third match at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday to remain at the top spot in the points table with six points.

 

ALSO READ: Adam Zampa Picked 4/47 Against Sri Lanka Battling With Back Spasm, Says 'It Was A Tough One'

 

Skipper Rohit Sharma has played a key role in India's winning run so far, having scored a century against Afghanistan followed by a half-century against the Babar Azam-led side.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes that Rohit has been the key to India's emergence as the leading side in the tournament amid all the pressure of the massive home support.

"He's very laid back, Rohit. Very laid back with everything he does. You can even see that by the way that he plays. He's a pretty laconic sort of batsman as well, and that's the way he is both on and off the field,” Ponting explained.

“We can't sit back and say that the pressure won't get to them at some stage, or it won't affect them, because it will, just with the enormity of the tournament. But he'll take it and cope with it as well as probably anyone,” the former cricketer added.

While Ponting said that Rohit is the right person as the leader of the side, he added that star batter Virat Kohli can focus on his starring role with the bat.

"Someone like Virat, who is a bit more heart-on-the-sleeve, and probably listens to the fans and plays up with the fans a little bit more, someone with his personality would probably find it a bit harder. But I think Rohit will be fine with it. He's a terrific bloke and has been a great player for a long time, and he's done a great job as leader of India,” he elaborated.

 

ALSO READ: Cricket, Squash Among Five Sports To Get Formal Approval For 2028 Los Angeles Olympics By IOC; ICC Reacts

 

Both Rohit and Kohli have been impressive with the bat in the 2023 ODI World Cup so far. While the Indian captain has scored a century and a half-century, Kohli has contributed two crucial fifties.