Rohit, who has shaped a new role for himself off late in ODIs, confirmed that he had the backing of both former coach Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid to bat the way he has been doing off late, striking at nearly 120 in the 50-overs format since the start of 2023.
Rohit had endured a difficult period in the Test series in Australia, but roared back with a ton against England in the ODI series preceding the Champions Trophy, before delivering a Player of the Match-worthy performance in the summit clash.
Also Read: I am not going to retire from ODIs, confirms Rohit Sharma after Champions Trophy win
“To have the result our way is a great feeling,” Rohit said after the game.
Rohit touched upon in great detail about the rationale behind his decision to go all guns blazing with the bat, something that has been prevalent since the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup that India lost in the finals in 2023 to Australia.
“It was not natural to me, but something I really wanted to do. When you are doing something different, you have to have the backing of the team and management.
“I spoke to Rahul (Dravid) bhai earlier and now Gauti (Gambhir) bhai as well. It is something I really wanted to do. I have played all these years in a different style, and now we are getting the results with this,” Rohit said.
Rohit further added that the presence of multiple all-rounders gives him the depth and cushion needed to adopt an aggressive approach upfront.
“The depth gives me the freedom and it helps. With Jadeja coming at 8, it gives you the confidence to go hard upfront. As long as I am clear in my mind, it is great,” the skipper said.
