Rohit Sharma leading an aggressive powerplay is the template India should build on in T20Is: Ian Bishop

India vs West Indies: Former fast bowler Ian Bishop said he feels Rohit Sharma may have decided after the T20 World Cup last year that he would lead the charge in the powerplay for the team in T20I cricket.

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop said he liked what he saw in the first T20I between India and West Indies, referring to the quick start that the hosts had in their chase of 158 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday. India raced to 58 for 0 in the powerplay with captain Rohit Sharma taking the attack to West Indies pacers in a free-flowing knock.

Even as Ishan Kishan struggled to get going, Rohit was hitting sixes at will for his 19-ball 40. Rohit 3 sixes and 4 boundaries in a whirlwind knock that laid the platform for India's successful chase. Ishan struggled during his 42-ball knock of 35 but Rohit's blitzkrieg made up for it.

Despite suffering a middle-order wobble, India were able to gun down the 158-run target in just 18.5 overs, thanks to gritty cameos from Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer.

Bishop said Rohit Sharma may have decided after the T20 World Cup that India need to follow an aggressive template in the powerplay, especially against the bigger teams. Notably, India were bogged down in the powerplay in their defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand at the T20 World Cup but they played with more freedom in the rest of the tournament before crashing out in the Super 12 stage.

"That's the way India have to play going forward," Bishop told Star Sports.

"Rohit Sharma has decided post, I suppose, after the World Cup. They did well against a couple of the lower-ranked teams at the back end of the World Cup but this is how the powerplay needs to be for India, particularly when they come up against some of the higher-ranked teams.

"Ishan didn't fire, at some point, he will as he gets more used to that position.