Rohit Sharma, known for his calm and composed demeanor on the cricket field, is not only admired for his sharp cricketing acumen but also for his endearing forgetfulness. This charming trait has been playfully acknowledged by various cricketers, including Virat Kohli, who has humorously pointed out Rohit's tendency to misplace things.
Whether it's forgetting details during the toss, leaving personal items behind in hotel rooms and team buses, or simply being absent-minded, Rohit's forgetfulness never fails to amuse fans. However, Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary asserts that despite his casual appearance, Rohit Sharma possesses a keen and insightful understanding of the game of cricket.
"Rohit aapko lagta casual hai par bahot smart player hai. Iss chakkar mein na padna aap. He is very smart. Cricketing IQ bahut achha hai uska, means game ki samajh (Rohit may seem casual, but he's a very smart player, don't be deceived; his game sense is excellent)," Umpire Chaudhary explained on a podcast.
"Uski Batting se idea nahi aata aapko. Jab wo batting karta hai to lagta hai 120 (kmph) pe bowling ho rahi hai. Jab dusra batting karta hai to lagta hai 160 pe bowling ho rahi hai....Wo bahut saari appealon mein aa jata hai aur kehta hai 'abey rehne de'. Woh lagta casual hai par casual bilkul nahi hai woh (You can’t gauge his sharp mind from his batting. When he's batting, it seems like the bowlers are bowling at 120 kmph, but when someone else is batting, it feels like 160 kmph. He gets involved in many appeals and then says 'let it be.' He may appear casual, but he is anything but casual)," Chaudhary remarked.
"Rohit jaise player ke liye umpiring karna bada easy hai. Ya to out hota hai ya to not out hota hai. Seedha seedha kaam hai uska. Guchur guchur khelta hi nahi hai wo. Woh out hai ya not out hai. Aise player ko umpiring karna bahot easy hai. Usko dekhna aap, ya to woh saaf out hoga ya saaf not out hoga (Umpiring for a player like Rohit is very straightforward; he’s either out or not out. He doesn’t play in a confusing manner. It’s easy umpiring him because he’s either clearly out or clearly not out)," he added.
Chaudhary vividly remembers a match where Rohit Sharma scored over 200 runs, completely outclassing the bowlers on the field.
"Mai ek match pe TV umpire tha. He scored 200 plus. Jo balls dusro ke liye yorker thi, uspe wo chhakke maar raha tha. I think Kolkata mei match tha. Wo different class hai. Woh lagta lazy hai, par bahut idea hai usko. Swing ka idea hai usko [I was a TV umpire in a match where he scored 200-plus. The balls that were yorkers for others, he was hitting for sixes. I think the match was in Kolkata. He’s in a different class. He may seem lazy, but he has a lot of understanding. He knows about swing]," Chaudhary recalled.
Rohit is ready to show off his skills in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh later this month. He was recently seen getting ready for the series with the help of Team India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. Rohit has been in great form in all three formats lately and will look to keep up his impressive performances against Bangladesh.
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