Rohit Sharma's leadership skills have been receiving massive praises after he guided Mumbai Indians to their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title. While former Indian opener Virender Sehwag hailed the Hitman as the best captain in T20 cricket, Gautam Gambhir advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to make Hitman India's captain in white-ball cricket. The opener pulled off another masterstroke in IPL 2020 final by giving the new ball to off-spinner Jayant Yadav instead of in-form pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The decision paid off brilliantly as Yadav dismissed in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan for just 15 runs. Rohit Sharma Responds To Popular IPL Ad After Leading MI To Indian Premier League 2020 Title Win.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was highly impressed by Sharma's captaincy as he called the opener a mixture of MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly. "The way he used Yadav showed his class. Any captain would have gone with a seamer. Rohit used his instinct. It showed how clear was his thinking. It showed that he's a bowlers' captain," said Irfan Pathan. "He is a mixture of Dhoni and Ganguly. Ganguly trusted his bowlers and went by it. Dhoni trusted his bowlers but always took decisions with an instinct," he added. Mumbai Indians Skipper Rohit Sharma Hails BCCI's Efforts for 'Smooth and Safe' Conduct.

Pathan further highlighted how Rohit's man-management skills make him a brilliant captain in white-ball cricket. "One of the games was getting close, so he used Bumrah in the 17th over, though he usually uses Bumrah in the 18th. Bumrah brought the game back in MI's favour. Look at the way he used Pollard, he didn't make him bowl initially, but when wicket had double pace, he used Pollard," Pathan opined.

Meanwhile, Rohit – who missed few games in IPL 2020 due to a hamstring injury – isn't a part of India's T20I and ODI for Australia. However, he will participate in the four-match Test series, starting from December 17. In the meantime, he'll go under rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 13, 2020 09:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).