Of late, Rohit Sharma is in the process of maturing. The batsman with a classy touch is only enhancing his utility by learning the importance of being more patient at the crease.
In the last season in Ranji Trophy, he had shouldered the responsibility to revive Mumbai's fortunes in some key matches. In the much shorter Twenty20 format, he is flourishing as well.
Rohit's effortless elegance and his flexibility to switch gears as per the situation helped Deccan Chargers overhaul Kings XI Punjab's total of 174 in a DLF IPL-III match at the HPCA Stadium here on Friday.
Rohit, who had thrown away his wicket at the closing moments of Chargers' tie against Royal Challengers in Nagpur the other day, drew satisfaction from his effort here.
“It was important to stay there right till the end. The wicket was good for batting and 174 was a decent total (to chase),” Rohit said after Chargers' five-wicket win over Kings.
However, he said a batsman had to be watchful as one side of the wicket was a bit slow and dry.
Delighted over the fourth consecutive win of his team, Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist patted Rohit on his back for ‘finishing the job'.
The Aussie said everyone in the team was trying to give his best to see the side in the semis. “However, I am not happy about my situation (of not scoring many runs)”, he said with a smile.
Gilchrist was not worried over the criticism of the pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla, where Chargers would play its last match against Delhi Daredevils.
“We will get there and have a look. It is the backend of the summer so the wicket is going to be slow,” he said, adding that his team had to adjust to the Kotla track.
On the recent controversies surrounding IPL and the subsequent action taken by the Income Tax department, Gilchrist said, “It is a shame that it is grabbing headlines. We will deal with that after the season.”