IND vs ENG: Rohit Sharma is next MS Dhoni in captaincy, says Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina likened Rohit Sharma with legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni.

Following India’s series victory over England in Ranchi, Suresh Raina has made a significant assertion that Rohit Sharma is the next MS Dhoni as captain. India grabbed an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match test series with a five-wicket win in the fourth match. Many people have praised Rohit’s captaincy, including Raina.

According to the southpaw, Rohit has given new players opportunities similar to Dhoni’s. Raina also believes that the current India skipper is on the right track and describes him as excellent.

In the absence of premier pacer Shami, star batsman Virat, and middle-order star Shreyas Iyer, Rohit showed confidence in the newcomers by handing test debuts to Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and pacer Akash Deep.

“He is the next MS Dhoni. He has done well. He has been giving a lot of chances to youngsters the way Dhoni did. I played a lot of cricket under MS Dhoni. Sourav Ganguly supported his team a lot. Then Dhoni came and led from the front. Rohit is going in the right direction. He is a brilliant captain,” Raina said in an interview with Times of India.

Want to credit Rohit Sharma for Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep’s success: Suresh Raina

Raina also thanked Rohit for giving Dhruv Jurel a chance as the wicket-keeper made the difference in the fourth test against England. The veteran cricketer also commended Rohit for his squad planning and effective rotation of players to minimize workloads. Raina said that Rohit has been handling the pressure and players really well.

“Rohit has been amazing with his planning. He has been giving a lot of chances to the youngsters. The way he is rotating the players is something I have never seen in the last couple of years. Whenever the fast bowlers came in the last couple of years, we have seen injuries. But Rohit has been managing that really well. Being a captain is not easy, especially when you are playing in India.” said Raina.

Earlier, we used to have one fast bowler and 3-4 spinners. Now, he is bringing two fast bowlers. He brought in Siraj and Bumrah. He sent Bumrah back and managed his workload well and then handed debut to Akash Deep. Rohit has been handling the pressure and players really well,” Raina added.

India and England will now face off in the last test match of the series in Dharamsala, which begins March 7.

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