'MS backed him': Gautam Gambhir lauds Rohit Sharma with a surprising Dhoni reference

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, achieved a significant milestone in his One Day International (ODI) career on Tuesday by crossing 10,000-run mark. 36-year-old accomplished this feat during an Asia Cup Super 4 match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Rohit's journey in ODI cricket has been remarkable, evolving from a middle-order batsman during his early days to becoming second-fastest Indian batsman to complete 10,000 ODI runs. His ODI debut dates back to 2007.

3 things you need to kw

• Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant half-century as he completed 10,000 ODI runs
• It was Rohit Sharma's 51st half-century for India in 50-over cricket
• Rohit Sharma is all set to lead India in upcoming Cricket World Cup

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Gautam Gambhir credits MS Dhoni for Rohit Sharma's rise

During initial phase of his career with Indian team, Rohit struggled to find his footing until legendary former India captain, MS Dhoni, made a pivotal decision to promote him as an opener. Playing as an opener, Rohit broke several records. He also became first player in world to score three ODI double-hundreds. Reflecting on this crucial move, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir highlighted significance of Dhoni's role in shaping Rohit's career.

"Scoring 10,000 runs was t easy for him. Saw many ups and downs. Having seen that phase, Rohit, as a captain, will back youngsters who go through a difficult period. Rohit Sharma is Rohit Sharma today because of MS Dhoni," Gambhir said on Star Sports," Gambhir said on Star Sports.

"MS backed him continuously in his initial struggling phase. If he wants to leave a legacy behind, t in terms of runs but as a captain, a lot will depend on how he backs young players. It will be interesting to see how he grooms upcoming players," he added.

Also Read: Shubman Gill Attains Career-best Second Spot In ODI Batters Chart; Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Also In Top-10

Rohit Sharma@1000 ODI runs

Remarkably, Rohit Sharma joins an elite group of Indian batsmen, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and MS Dhoni, as sixth Indian cricketer to achieve milestone of 10,000 or more runs in ODI cricket. Rohit scored a crucial half-century in match against Sri Lanka to help India qualify for Asia Cup 2023 final. It was Rohit's third consecutive fifty in tournament. 

Im: BCCI