Ravichandran Ashwin reveals Rohit Sharma’s biggest legacy as white-ball captain, says it is not winning the tournaments

Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that Rohit Sharma’s biggest legacy is not just winning the major ICC tournament but changing the batting frontier of India’s white-ball format. Rohit as India’s white-ball skipper has won two ICC titles – the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025.

Rohit also played an instrumental role in taking the team to the final of the ODI World Cup 2023 but the team could not cross the last hurdle against Australia at Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, since the ODI World Cup 2023, Rohit has adopted an aggressive approach in the white-ball formats and has played an instrumental role in the success of the team.

Rohit scored 180 runs in the Champions Trophy, completing the 11,000-run mark during the tournament. In 273 ODIs, he has 11,168 runs at an average of 48.76 with 32 centuries.

“The biggest legacy is not winning the tournaments, he has won five trophies with MI, he has now won 2 ICC titles also. Rohit Sharma has changed the batting frontier of Indian white-ball cricket, that is his greatest legacy,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin added that Rohit took calculated risks in the final against the Kiwis. Rohit scored a match-winning knock of 76 runs off 83 balls in the summit clash and bagged the Player of the Match award. He scored seven fours and three sixes as India clinched their seventh ICC title.

“This was not the usual Rohit Sharma, it was not like the time he was batting in the World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. These were measured shots. He knew Nathan Smith was new to the circuit, so he properly attacked him, he did not allow him to return to the attack,” Ashwin pointed out.

“Keep all of that on the side, everything is done now. He has won 2 ICC titles, who cares whether he scores 40 or 50, he has 11,000 runs in ODIs, he is a stalwart. People want to find something or the other, why? India’s white-ball thought process has always been to score big and remain not out,” he added.

Rohit will be next seen in action for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025.