Rohit Sharma turns 35: India captain enters crucial phase, carrying nation's World Cup hopes

India's all-format captain Rohit Sharma turned 35 on April 30, 2022. The celebrated batter will look to lead from the front as India looks to put behind the T20 World Cup 2021 disappointment and end an 8-year-long wait for an ICC title later this year in Australia.

Rohit Sharma turned 35 on Saturday, April 30. The cricket fraternity is celebrating the birthday of one of the finest batters of this era. As the superstar cricketer turns a year older and wiser, the Indian fans are hoping he achieves plenty of success on and off the field in what is an exciting and packed international cricket season.

Rohit Sharma has had an eventful last 6 months in his career. The most successful Indian Premier League captain took over as India's white-ball captain after Virat Kohli quit as T20I skipper following the senior national team's early exit from the T20 World Cup last year. Rohit was the obvious choice for the white-ball captaincy after Kohli was sacked as ODI skipper as well.

In January this year, Rohit was handed over the Test captaincy as well after Kohli made an unforeseen decision to give up a job that he loved doing after India lost a 3-Test series in South Africa. It was astonishing to see Rohit's ascendancy, especially in the red-ball format. The star batter was struggling to find a place in the XI until 2019 when he was promoted to open the batting. A golden run with the bat made him one of the most indispensable members of the Test team. Not many eyebrows were raised when Rohit was made the Test captaincy as the star batter reaped the reward for his dedication and hunger to do well in whites.

All eyes will be on Rohit Sharma who will have to shoulder the burden of being an all-format captain of the most-followed cricket team in the world. Ask Virat Kohli, as MS Dhoni, the job is not as rosy as it looks. Dhoni gave up Test captaincy well before he retired. Kohli found plenty of success as an all-format captain and led India to unprecedented highs in whites, but his inability to lead India to a white-ball trophy in ICC events has been a much-discussed aspect of his captaincy.

ALSO SEE: ROHIT'S ICONIC MOMENTS

Rohit has a proven record as captain. As India's stand-in captain, Rohit had won the Asia Cup, the Nidahas Trophy and his record as Mumbai Indians captain - 5 titles in 9 years is staggering, but the pressure of leading the senior national team is going to be entirely different.

Rohit Sharma has begun on a high. India hammered New Zealand in his first assignment as full-time captain. They breezed past a visiting West Indies side in ODIs and T20Is before hammering Sri Lanka in T20Is and 2 Tests.