Not Gautam Gambhir! Former cricketer credits Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid for India's aggressive batting - 'They showed the way'

Ravichandran Ashwin credits Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid for India's aggressive batting transformation in white-ball cricket, emphasizing their proactive approach post-disappointing ICC results. Ashwin urged fans to cherish the remaining time watching Rohit and Virat Kohli, highlighting the fleeting nature of careers and the importance of enjoying their present performances.
Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid (File photo/Agencies)
NEW DELHI: Ravichandran Ashwin has said India’s aggressive batting style in recent years is the result of former captain Rohit Sharma and ex-head coach Rahul Dravid’s influence. The former India off-spinner said the two pushed for a faster scoring approach in limited-overs cricket and also followed the same approach themselves, which helped change the team’s mindset in T20Is and ODIs.
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"Rohit as a captain has always been laying his stamp by showing the team what he wants from it. The transitional batting that India has gone through in T20 cricket and ODI cricket -- the way we bat fast -- a lot of credit for that goes to Rohit and Rahul bhai," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat.' "They showed the way, Rahul bhai said this is how we have to play and Rohit showed the way, paved the way and eventually it has changed the way how India perceived batting. Batting is not average, it is purely strike rate in white ball cricket," he added. According to Ashwin, India shifted to a more proactive plan under Rohit and Dravid after a run of disappointing ICC results. The approach was visible during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where the team led the league stage with an attacking method, and again during the 2024 T20 World Cup title win in the Caribbean and USA. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli now playing only ODI cricket after retiring from T20Is and Tests, Ashwin said fans should value the period left with them in international cricket. "I will say one thing, how much time we have to watch and enjoy Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bat, please let’s do it because once they are done, we could hear talks like ‘oh, what a player he was! Please bring him back’. That doesn’t cut ice for me." "For however long they play, let us celebrate them as long as they are playing. As I said, life moves on very fast. Time does not wait for anyone. It is very important that we realise that the time is less. So it is better that we enjoy whatever they are doing," he said.
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