'Rohit Sharma is Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove': Nasser Hussain Praises India Captain Ahead of T20 World Cup Final

Nasser Hussain has praised India captain Rohit Sharma for having a ‘calming influence’ on his teammates as the latter gears up to lead them in the final of the T20 World Cup against South Africa on Saturday.

Rohit has now captained India to three world cup finals across formats but is yet to taste victory in them. Saturday presents him with another chance to end that wait and seal his legacy.

Also Read: All You Need to Know About T20 WC Final

Speaking to ICC ahead of the final in Barbados, Hussain says he’s been a fan of Rohit for a long time. “I have been a fan of Rohit for a very long time, as a batter, as a captain, and as a person. He seems to have a very calming influence. Whereas you had other captains, maybe like Virat, who wore their heart on their sleeves and they are incredibly passionate,” he said.

“Rohit is like that iron fist in a velvet glove. You do not want to mess around with Rohit but he is also a big brother that will put his arm around you and look after you,” he added.

Rohit has been leaving an impact with the bat too. In 7 innings so far, he has 248 runs at a strike-rate of 155.97.

India have been unbeaten in the tournament so far having outsmarted the likes of Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh among others en route to the final. This is the first time since 2014 that they have made it this far in the competition.

India, winners of the inaugural World T20 in 2007, haven’t laid their hands on the trophy ever since. In fact, their last ICC title came in 2013 when they defeated England in the rain-truncated affair.

This is India’s third final of an ICC world event in just over 12 months. In 2023, they qualified for the final of the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup but lost both the clashes to Australia.

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