Kohli's Previous Remarks on Rohit Sharma's Forgetfulness Take a New Turn with Ex-Indian Coach's Praise for His Strategic Genius

India captain Rohit Sharma has a tendency to forget things, a fact that is well-known to fans. This trait has been observed both on and off the field on numerous occasions. Former captain Virat Kohli was the first to bring attention to this habit of Rohit's, with a video of his comments going viral and resurfacing on social media periodically. Recently, former India batting coach Vikram Rathour added a new perspective to Kohli's old viral comment on Rohit's forgetfulness.

“The number of things Rohit Sharma forgets, I have never seen anyone else being this forgetful; iPad, wallet, phone, he forgets not just small things but essentials for daily use. He has even forgotten his passport two or three times, which was very hard to retrieve," Kohli had said a few years back in one of the episodes of Breakfast with Champions on YouTube.

More recently it was on display last month when he looked confused over how many bags he had when he reached the Mumbai airport after returning from vacation. Previously, there was an instance, where he had forgotten what he had decided at the time of toss during the ODI World Cup match against New Zealand last year, and later, in another game, he forgot he had the coin toss with him in his pocket.

Speaking on the podcast 'Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli,' Rathour did open up about Rohit's reputation for being forgetful but added that the India skipper never forgets the game plan the team decided upon for a match.

“He might forget whether he has decided to bat or bowl at the toss, or his phone and iPad in the team bus but he never forgets his gameplan. He is very good at it and is a very shrewd tactician,” he said.

The former India coach then talked about how Rohit tends to involve himself in all the team meetings to decide thje different strategies, both for batters and bowlers.

"He is a player’s captain. He is invested with the players heavily. I have never seen a captain, who is so invested in team meetings and strategies. He spends a lot of time on the team’s strategy. He is part of the bowlers’ meeting, batters meeting. He wants to sit with the bowlers and batters to try and understand what they are thinking. He invests a lot of time with the players," Rathour added.

Vikram Rathour justifies 'shrewd tactician' remark

Rathour, in a bid to justify his "shrewd tactician" remark on Rohit, recalled his decision to introduce Jasprit Bumrah in the death overs in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa on June 29. It turned out to be a match-winning move as Bumrah bowled two economical overs, while picking a wicket, en route to India's title win.

“He is tactically very good as a captain. In the T20 World Cup final, he finished Bumrah’s over early. A lot of people must have questioned that decision but that decision put us in the situation, where 16 was needed in the last over. His tactical decisions on the field are spot on. Sitting outside It surprises you as a coach as well. We from outside sometimes think what he is doing but then you realise what he has done after a while," Rahtour concluded.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.