'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 the 10,000-run mark. The 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 the second-fastest Indian batsman to complete 10,000 ODI runs. His ODI debut dates back to 2007.

3 things you need to know

• 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 the upcoming Cricket World Cup

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Gautam Gambhir credits MS Dhoni for Rohit Sharma's rise

During the initial phase of his career with the Indian team, Rohit struggled to find his footing until the 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 the first player in the world to score three ODI double-hundreds. Reflecting on this crucial move, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir highlighted the significance of Dhoni's role in shaping Rohit's career.

"Scoring 10,000 runs was not 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, not in terms of runs but as a captain, a lot will depend on how he backs the young players. It will be interesting to see how he grooms the upcoming players," he added.

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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 the sixth Indian cricketer to achieve the milestone of 10,000 or more runs in ODI cricket. Rohit scored a crucial half-century in the match against Sri Lanka to help India qualify for the Asia Cup 2023 final. It was Rohit's third consecutive fifty in the tournament. 

Image: BCCI