Moeen Ali has lauded Rohit Sharma after the Mumbai Indian veteran announced his retirement from the Indian Test team.
Calling him a ‘natural player’, the Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder paid tributes to Sharma’s batsmanship.
“Rohit was a more natural player in terms of, like, amazing to watch. Like a proper gift given to him. When I say natural, everything looks a lot smoother. He was a top player.
“There was a period of time where he was probably the most talented player in the world, naturally,” Ali said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast.
Could have done more with fitness
However, Ali did allude to Sharma’s limits due fitness, which many have raised over the years, and stated how Virat Kohli, who also recently retired from Test cricket, is ahead in that department.
“Like probably didn’t do the work in terms of fitness and stuff as Virat but still as effective. Would probably hit the ball further,” Ali added on the podcast.
The two Indian legendary batsmen called time on their career in the longest format of the game earlier this month ahead of India’s tour of England.
The 38-year-old MI batsman represented India in 67 Tests and scored 4,301 runs while 36-year-old Kohli called time on his illustrious Test career after 123 Tests and 9,230 runs.
Leadership vaccum
As India prepares to embark on a five-Test series to England, which begins on June 20, the Test squad will need to fill massive gaps with the duo retiring.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have not made any official announcement yet, multiple reports suggest Gujarat Titans’ star batsman Shubman Gill is expected to take over the reigns from Sharma.
The 38-year-old was the Indian Test captain when he announced his retirement.
The BCCI will also have to fill the big shoes of Kohli, who was a mainstay at number 4 for the better part of a decade.
Kohli’s retirement also contributes to the leadership vaccum in the Indian Test team as he as Sharma’s predecessor as captain.
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