Talking on a podcast hosted by Taruwar Kohli, Rathour highlighted Rohit’s qualities that make him stand out as a captain.”Kisi captain ko maine team meetings ya strategy mei itna involve hote nahi dekha (I have never seen a captain get so involved in strategy and game-planning),” Rathour said.
“He might forget whether he has decided to bat or bowl at the toss, or his phone and iPad in the team bus but he never forgets his gameplan. He is very good at it and is a very shrewd tactician,” Rathour, who played six Tests for India, added.
“He spends a lot of time on the team’s strategy. He is part of the bowlers’ meeting, batters’ meeting. He wants to sit with the bowlers and batters to try and understand what they are thinking. He invests a lot of time with the players.”
Hailing Rohit as the players’ captain, Rathour said that being a batsman with exceptional skills and consistency helps Rohit to lead by example and keep raising the bar for the rest of the team, especially batsmen.
“His first quality is that as a batsman he is a phenomenal player. I think he is someone who understands his game really well. He always has a clear game plan,” said Rathour.
“Even as a leader, you will have to lead from the front, you have to perform to set the example; and since he has become the captain, he has always led by example.”
Rathour said that while Rohit’s on-field decisions have mostly been “spot on”, some of those surprise you as a coach sitting in the dugout or inside the pavilion, and you only realise later that it was a master stroke.
“His tactical decisions on the field are spot on. Sitting outside, it surprises you as a coach as well. We sometimes think what is he doing, but then you realise after a while what he has done,” he said.
Citing an example, Rathour mentioned one of Rohit’s decisions during the T20 World Cup final earlier this year in June.
“In the T20 World Cup final, he finished (Jasprit) Bumrah’s overs early. A lot of people must have questioned the decision, but that decision put us in the situation where 16 (runs) were needed in the last over,” said Rathour.
India defeated South Africa by seven runs to lift their second T20 World Cup trophy.