‘Rohit Sharma is still the same guy that he was 16 years ago’ | Cricket News

During his stint with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris recognized that Rohit Sharma possessed a unique talent. Styris and Rohit were teammates in the Deccan Chargers‘ squad for the 2008 and 2009 IPL seasons.
The team won the IPL in 2009.
Following his time with the Chargers, Rohit transitioned to the Mumbai Indians, where he guided the franchise to an impressive five IPL titles.His success as a captain extended to the international stage, as he led India to victory in the T20 World Cup in June this year and finished runners-up in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup, showcasing his exceptional leadership skills and batting prowess.

“It (IPL 2008) was my first opportunity to be a teammate and see (and hear of) Rohit Sharma. He was with us at the Deccan Chargers. He was 19 or 20 years old at that time and I could see then that this kid was something special. I’ve just come back from Sri Lanka where I commentated on India vs Sri Lanka, caught up with him there and he’s still the same guy that he was 16 years ago,” Styris told cricket.com.
Styris also reflected on the Chargers’ sorry start to the IPL in the league’s inaugural edition in 2008, when the team finished last.
“The very first year we were actually favourites to win it and we came last. Part of that was because we didn’t have a great balance. We had great names on paper but you’re only allowed to play four overseas players,” the former New Zealander said.

“We’d either load up the batting and the bowling would be weak, or we’d load up the bowling and the batting would be weak. When we tried to load it up with all-rounders, we were a little bit bits-and-pieces and weren’t quite strong enough in any of them and ended up coming last.”
But the franchise turned it around in the following season, winning the trophy under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist. They defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2009 IPL final.