CWC '23: Rohit can afford to play the accumulator role and score big hundreds, feels former India batter

Rohit Sharma-led India open their campaign in CWC 2023 on October 8 (Sunday) when they face Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Ahead of India's tournament opener, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels the Indian captain can play the accumulator role, rather than being the aggressor at the top, in the mega event as it will help him score daddy hundreds he is known for. In the recent past, especially since taking over as the Indian captain, Rohit has often tried to go hard at the top to help India start aggressively. However, he has often paid the price for losing his wicket after getting starts.

Thus, Bangar feels Rohit should play the accumulator's role in the upcoming marquee event, which kicks off on October 5 (Thursday) with defending champions England taking on New Zealand.

"I feel the one of an accumulator (on what role should he play?). He is someone who has had phenomenal success as an ODI player. And many times that he has scored his hundred, it's around the 30th over. All those 3 double hundreds that we speak of and rave of so much, the acceleration came toward the last 10-12 overs where he just toys with the bowling," Bangar told Star Sports in response to a question from India Today.

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Bangar further pointed out, "So a dangerous Rohit Sharma, if he gets to that 35-over mark, then India is assured of a score of around 350. If he sticks to that sort of a templateI know he is trying to do certain other things, maybe take the game away from the bowlers, but he has got a phenomenal, fearless Shubman Gill, he can afford to play the accumulator which will guarantee that India will get a big total. Everyone wants to bat long and score those 150s and 170s. I still want to do that, but it is always nice to do something that you have not done. It only adds up to your list of batting abilities. Unless you do it, you won't know it.

''I know if I play high-risk shots, I will get out a few times but I didn't bother. This was communicated by me to the management that this is how I want to play," the former Indian opener added.

It will be interesting to see if Rohit takes on the bowlers from the word go in the World Cup or starts cautiously before going berserk. Having led India to the Asia Cup title last month, he will be confident leading India in the ICC event. India will look to win their third ODI World Cup and also end their ten-year-long ICC title drought.

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