Ricky Ponting (right) won IPL 2013 while playing under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma’s exploits in the international cricket has left many spell bounded and Australia’s cricket icon Ricky Ponting is surely among one of many who has always praised the Indian openers batting ability.
Interestingly, Rohit took his flawless IPL career to new heights when he tookover from Ponting as MI captain in 2013 with four IPL triumphs since then.
As far as Rohit’s batting prowess in the tournament is concerned, the Hitman has amassed 4898 runs in 188 games, including a ton and 36 half centuries; managing a striker rate of 130.82 while averaging 31.60.
Impressed with his outstanding records, Ponting, while speaking to Cricket Australia website, said that Rohit is the dangerman among many MI watch-winners that includes the likes of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya among others.
“Mumbai Indians dangerman for the series is pretty hard to go past: Rohit Sharma, the captain. One of the premier T20 batsman in the world. He has outstanding record in the international cricket or the IPL. He is arguably in best form right now, so it’s pretty hard to go past him,” asserted the Delhi Capitals coach.
Ponting himself will be eager to taste IPL success in a leadership role as he prepares the Shreyas Iyer-led Capitals for upcoming IPL 2020 season in Dubai.
Earlier in an interaction with Cricket Australia, Ponting talked about the Australian cricketers taking part in the IPL and spoke in detail about the players from Delhi Capitals. He revealed the possible batting position for Stoinis, and also revealed that one of Alex Carey and Shimron Hetmyer might be playing a finisher's role.
"We're sort of tossing up at the moment on where we're going to Stoinis. He's obviously had an outstanding form for Melbourne Stars at the top of the order, and the practice games Aussies have played over the UK. He was in sensational form, opening the batting there," Ponting told Cricket Australia.
"As it turns out, we've probably got two of India's best openers in Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, so we might use Stoinis as a bit of a floater anywhere from 3-6. And we can bank on him for some bowling as well.
Alex Carey also comes into the equation. He has hit a brilliant hundred in one of those intra-squad games in the UK for the Aussies. We know that he can open the batting, we know that he can finish the innings as well.
"So it might be going to someone like Carey or Shimron Hetmyer in our squad, on which player to pick to try and finish the games for us. We know that he (Carey) gives us outstanding flexibility and obviously, he gives us a backup wicketkeeper (option) to Rishabh Pant."
Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL campaign against Kings XI Punjab on September 20.
