Former India cricketer Suresh Raina revealed that promoting Rohit Sharma to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan helped the Men in Blue win the Champions Trophy in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s astute leadership.
Rohit sealed his spot at the top of the order by scoring a brilliant 83 in the previous series against England. The selectors left out veterans like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Harbhajan Singh, but the youngsters rose to the occasion and helped India win the coveted silverware for only the second time.
Rohit and Dhawan instantly clicked as they added 127 runs for the first wicket in the opening game against South Africa. While Dhawan finished as the leading run-getter, Rohit was fourth on the list. Raina recalled how the pair complemented each other and approached their innings with diligent planning.
“That was a masterstroke. Just look at the way they batted—they focused on timing rather than forcing shots. They attacked when the delivery deserved it. Rohit, technically very sound, wore the ball down before accelerating, while Shikhar stepped out and took on the bowlers. Left-right combinations always trouble bowlers, and Shikhar was an aggressive striker in his own way. Rohit could hit a six whenever he wanted,” Raina said on The Suresh Raina Experience: Champions Trophy Special.
Rohit and Dhawan showed great consistency as they added another century opening stand in the second encounter against the West Indies, followed by 58 and 77-run stands versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka, respectively.
“Their partnerships were effortless. A 100-run stand quickly turned into 150. They trusted each other’s calls and had great understanding, which made a huge difference,” Raina added.
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While Dhawan has retired from international and domestic cricket, Rohit is all set to lead India in the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy, which gets underway on Wednesday, February 19. The Asian giants start their campaign on Thursday when they take on Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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