WATCH: Wasim Akram heaps praise on skipper Rohit Sharma after India finishes World Cup 2023 group stage unbeaten

Team India continued its winning streak in the 2023 ODI World Cup by winning 9 straight league games. They were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and cemented their top spot with another dominant win over the Netherlands on Sunday. Following India's massive 160-run win in Bengaluru, legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram heaped praise on captain Rohit Sharma. 

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Apart from Rohit's captaincy, his batting prowess has also been crucial in the tournament so far. The right-hander lays a strong foundation at the top with an aggressive start. He may have failed to convert into big scores most of the time but always gave a powerful start in the powerplay. The same was witnessed from his bat against the Netherlands.

In India's mission of 'hammering the Dutch side', Rohit scored a blazing half-century. With the help of eight fours and two sixes, the veteran opener scored 61 runs off 54 balls and made a 100-run partnership with Shubman Gill. Speaking after the match, Akram said that there is no player like Rohit in international cricket, highlighting the 36-year-old's ability to make batting look easy even in difficult conditions.

“There's no player like Rohit Sharma in international cricket. We talk about Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Babar Azam but this guy is different. He makes batting look so easy no matter what the opposition or bowling attack,” said Akram during a chat on A Sports. 

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Watch the video below: 

Wasim Akram praising Rohit Sharma....!!!!

- The rise of Rohit Sharma has been phenomenal, the man for the World Cups. ⭐pic.twitter.com/8B7YnWp9jc

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 13, 2023

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Rohit bats at a staggering strike rate of 121.49 in 2023 World Cup 

Meanwhile, former Pakistan all-rounder and fellow panelist Shoaib Malik agreed with Akram and added that Rohit has a tendency to take on all the opposition bowlers. His staggering strike rate of 121.49 is a testament to his aggressiveness. Currently ranked fourth with 503 runs, Rohit has the highest strike rate among the top 10 players on the leading run-scorers list.

“He's a kind of batter who will hit all five opposition bowlers. The batters that Wasim Akram named, they target 3-4 bowlers but Rohit goes after all five,” said Malik.

Rohit also broke multiple records with his 61-run knock against the Netherlands. He overtook former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers’ record (58) for the most sixes hit in a calendar year. He also became the captain to hit the most sixes in an ODI World Cup, overtaking former England captain Eoin Morgan's 22 sixes in 2019.