Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma recently discussed the bowler who challenged him the most throughout his career. While facing former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn wasn't a nightmare, Sharma acknowledged Steyn's impact.
Sharma, considered one of India's finest modern white-ball cricketers, has surpassed 10,000 ODI runs and 4,000 T20I runs. He led the Men in Blue to an undefeated run in the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India, but they fell short in the final against Australia.
Sharma will again lead India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the USA. His team is grouped with Ireland, Canada, the USA, and Pakistan, with all their league matches taking place in the USA.
On the Dubai Eye 103.8 podcast, Sharma praised Steyn's ability to swing the ball at high speeds. He called Steyn an "absolute legend of the game" and expressed his respect for Steyn's achievements. Despite limited personal success against him, Sharma enjoyed the competitive battles.
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"Facing Dale Steyn from South Africa wasn't a nightmare, but I definitely watched his videos a hundred times before I went to bat," Sharma said. "He's an absolute legend of the game, and what he's achieved in his career is just phenomenal. I've faced him many times."
"He used to swing the ball at a pace that was incredibly difficult," Sharma added. "He was a fierce competitor, always driven to win every game and every session for his team. It was a privilege to compete against him, even though I didn't have huge success. But I definitely enjoyed the battles."
Sharma is currently playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Though he was removed from captaincy before the season began, MI became the first team eliminated from the tournament.
The former MI skipper has scored 349 runs in 13 matches with a disappointing average of 29.08 and a strike rate of 145.42. Notably, he started the season strong with 297 runs in the first seven games, averaging 49.50 with a strike rate of 164.09.
Sharma's next match will be on Friday, May 17, when the Mumbai Indians face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium.
