Rohit Sharma among all-time greats and on par with Dhoni, says Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri has hailed Rohit Sharma as "one of the all-time greats" and believes his captaincy is on par with that of India's legendary captain, MS Dhoni.

Rohit Sharma's tenure as India's T20I captain was particularly notable, as he surpassed Dhoni to become the most successful T20I captain with 49 wins in 62 matches, compared to Dhoni's 41 victories from 72 games.

Shastri regards Rohit and Dhoni as equals in terms of their tactical prowess in white-ball cricket. He expressed this view on a recent episode of The ICC Review, stating, “As a tactician, let's not forget that he's been an outstanding guy. He'll go down as one of the best captains ever alongside Dhoni.”

“If you ask me who's better, I'd say both are on par when it comes to tactics in the white-ball game. I can't pay a bigger compliment to Rohit than that because you know what MS has done and the titles he has won.”

Rohit led India to their first T20 World Cup title since 2007 in June, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. India won eight out of nine matches, with one game ending without a result. Shastri praised Rohit's calmness and strategic decisions, particularly in the T20 World Cup, where he effectively utilized key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel at crucial moments

“Rohit is not far behind and I thought tactically he was just outstanding in this year's (T20) World Cup,” Shastri continued. “Just the calmness, the ability to get a (Jasprit) Bumrah or a (Hardik) Pandya, or even an Axar Patel at just the right time when needed was great to see.”

Shastri emphasized Rohit's powerful and stylish play, which sets him apart.

“I think a giant in the white-ball game,” said Shastri. “One of the all-time greats. One of the best who have ever played. Will walk into any white-ball team they pick, irrespective of the era. Just because of the dynamic ability he has at the top.

“The thing with Rohit Sharma is he plays the big shots, he scores quickly, but they're all cricketing shots. What amazes me, there's not an element of sloppiness. I mean, it just shows how much time he has on his hands to play the best and the power – people forget that this man is explosive. He's got power.”

 “Just see the scores in that period of time. Three double hundreds in the one-day game. He's got hundreds in T20 cricket,” Shastri noted.

In comparing Rohit to Virat Kohli, Shastri pointed out, “Compared to Virat Kohli, you know, Virat Kohli is more finesse, he's starts along the ground,” said Shastri. “This man is explosive. He's got the power to clear any ground in the world and take on the fast bowlers. He's got the shots for the quicks and he can destroy spin as well.”