Cricket / Rohit's 10-year-old tweet goes viral after being named Team India's new ODI captain

Cricket Desk: Moments after Rohit Sharma was announced  India's new ODI captain by the BCCI, his 10-year-old tweet went viral. The board also announced the team's Test squad for the upcoming South Africa tour but Rohit's appointment overshadowed every other aspect of the mega announcement.

As they say, nothing is ever hidden on the internet, and Rohit's tweet from 2011 resurfacing bears testament to the fact. The India opener had taken to the micro-blogging site to express his disappointment after being left out of India's 2011 ICC World Cup squad. 

It read: “Really really disappointed of not being the part of the WC squad..I need to move on frm here..but honestly it was a big setback..any views!”

As it turned out, Rohit missed out on laying his hands on the glittering World Cup trophy. Dinesh Lad, his childhood coach, explained why he was left out and the impact the decision had on his ward.

“From 2007-2009 he had played well and scored two hundred against Zimbabwe. After that (from) 2009-2011, because of fame and money, (he got) diverted. He was not looking after his cricket. Because of that, he was dropped from the 2011 World Cup as he was not performing in that period,” Dinesh Lad said.

Dinesh Lad also gave Rohit some advice after the omission and gave Virat Kohli’s example. 

“That was very shocking to him. I called him (Rohit) to my home and told him.. listen Rohit, you know why Rohit is here (it is) because of only cricket. You got everything – fame, money from cricket. But (now) you are not looking after your cricket, so I am requesting you, just start practicing. Virat (Kohli) came after you and he is in the (2011) World Cup team. See the difference. Now you have to look after your cricket," revealed Lad.

But a young Rohit Sharma was determined to make a comeback and boy did he do it in style. As per Lad's admission, Rohit started practising at 7 and would often do it until 5. He also added that getting selected for the Mumbai Indians proved to be extremely useful.

Eventually, Rohit redeemed himself at the showpiece event. In the 2015 edition in Australia and New Zealand, he hit 330 runs from 8 matches including a scintillating 137 in the quarterfinal against Bangladesh. Fast forward to 2019, Rohit set the bar even higher when he amassed 648. He smashed 5 centuries to finish as the highest run-getter in the tournament. 

And look how the turntables. Just two years from now, he will be leading his side in the 2023 World Cup and that too, on home soil.