During the last World Cup in 2019, Rohit scored five hundreds and finished on top of the run charts and in the tournament. He scored 648 runs from 9 matches at an average of 81 as India reached the semi-finals of the mega event that year.
As far as 2023 is concerned, the 36-year-old Sharma has been in good form and his runs at the top will be vital for India in the upcoming World Cup.
“I think lots of openers because India has good wickets, so openers will get more opportunities. I think if I want to pick one, I think Rohit Sharma. There are a couple of names, but I know I’m Indian and I should pick Indian, so Rohit Sharma,” Sehwag told ICC.
“I’ll pick Rohit Sharma, because when the World Cup comes, his energy level, his performance goes up. So I’m sure that this time he’s a captain also. So I’m sure that he will make a difference and he will get a lot of runs,” he added.
Earlier, former cricketer Aakash Chopra had also tipped Rohit to go big in the World Cup this year and score two centuries and a daddy hundred during the tournament.
“When we talk about the top three, it seems like who is better than us? Sare jahan se acha Hindustan hamara — you get a feeling like that from within because we have Shubman Gill alongside Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli will come after them,” Chopra had said on his YouTube channel.
“Rohit Sharma has scored more than 9800 runs. He has scored 30 centuries, has an average of nearly 49, and a strike rate of 90. It’s almost similar in Asia. So you can assume that Rohit Sharma is going to hit you. If he plays all nine matches, he should score two centuries and one daddy hundred as an opener. I am expecting that,” he added.
Two times champions India will open their World Cup 2023 campaign against mighty Australia on October 5 in Chennai.
