WATCH: Ashish Nehra explains Virat Kohli's role in Rohit Sharma's fearless batting approach

Captain Rohit Sharma deserves a lot of appreciation for Team India's successful campaign so far in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Men in Blue are the only unbeaten team in the tournament and will now face Australia in the final on Sunday. The excellent form of all 11 players and team bonding is what made India a formidable unit in this edition.

Rohit's captaincy and batting prowess have been pivotal in India's campaign, earning him praise from all quarters. His selfless approach with the bat, which gives the team a solid start, has been key to many of India's victories. Paying little attention to individual milestones, Rohit has scored 550 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of around 125. Currently ranked fifth in the run-scorers list, the veteran opener has notched up a century and three half-centuries.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli, despite playing some match-winning knocks and scoring over 700 runs, has faced criticism for his approach with the bat. With 3 centuries and 5 fifties, the former India captain is now the highest run scorer. However, many are not pleased with Kohli's strike rate and criticise him for not adopting a similar style to other Indian batters. 

Meanwhile, Ashish Nehra, former India pacer and current head coach of Gujarat Titans, gave his opinion to shut down Kohli's critics. The veteran left-arm seamer said Rohit was able to play aggressively because of Kohli's calmness and ability to bat very deep. 

“Why Rohit Sharma can play so fearless and aggressively is because Virat Kohli is there. Virat Kohli plays with his time because Rohit Sharma plays like this so both seem to be two sides of a coin, they play together for the team,” Nehra told Cricbuzz.

Watch the video below: 

“Rohit Sharma cannot play this type of knocks without Virat Kohli” - Ashish Nehra



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Rohit is just one win away from scripting history 

Rohit Sharma was not a part of India's World Cup-winning team in 2011. He was disappointed for not being picked. However, when the quadrennial event returns to India after 12 years, he leads the team. The 36-year-old is just one step away from becoming the third Indian captain to win the ODI World Cup title after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni. 

If India manages to beat Australia in Ahmedabad, the 10-year wait for adding another silverware to the cabinet will end. The last time the Men in Blue won a major international title was in the 2013 Champions Trophy under Dhoni's leadership.