My first impression of Rohit Sharma was flamboyant and aggressive, reveals Brett Lee

It was in 2013 when the Indian limited-overs setup took a turn for the good, with Rohit Sharma being promoted as the opener. Prior to his promotion, the Indian management was wasting the Mumbaikar’s talent in the middle-order, at No.5 and 6. 

However, since becoming the opener, Rohit has scored over 7000 runs in the Indian outfit, at an average of nearly 60 in ODIs, establishing himself as the best. Australian pacer Brett Lee recalled that when he first saw the Indian opener, he felt that the right-hander was highly flamboyant and aggressive. 

"I think the first impression I got of Rohit Sharma when he came on the scene, he was flamboyant, he was very aggressive the way he used to bat. But it was the sound of the bat...the first thing I could think of when I watched him bat...that knock off the bat..it was like the ball hit right in the centre of the bat,” he told Irfan Pathan, reported TOI. 

On the other hand, Rohit’s teammate during the 2013 campaign, Irfan Pathan recalled watching the Mumbaikar in the Indian nets. The all-rounder added that watching him bat in the net, without missing a single delivery left a long-lasting impression on him. 

"I remember seeing him in the Champions Trophy (2013) when he started opening. Seeing him in the nets when everyone else was struggling, he did not miss a single ball. We were discussing behind the nets that how he is going to finish his career on a high in Indian cricket," said Irfan.