Scott Styris, former New Zealand star all-rounder shared that he recognized Rohit Sharma's potential for greatness when they played together for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League, spending time together in the dressing room.
The 49-year old mentioned that his first chance to be teammates with Rohit Sharma came during the 2008 IPL when they played for the Deccan Chargers. Rohit was around 19 or 20 years old at the time, and even then, Styris could see that Rohit had something special. Styris recently reconnected with Rohit in Sri Lanka while commentating on the India vs Sri Lanka series and noted that Rohit remains the same person he was 16 years ago.
“It (IPL 2008) was my first opportunity to be a teammate and see (and hear of ) Rohit Sharma. He was with us at the Deccan Chargers. He was 19 or 20 years old at that time and I could see then that this kid was something special. I’ve just come back from Sri Lanka where I commentated on India vs Sri Lanka, caught up with him there and he’s still the same guy that he was 16 years ago'', he told cricket.com.
Following the 2011 auctions, Rohit Sharma joined the Mumbai Indians, where he successfully propelled the team to the pinnacle of IPL success. As captain, he guided the franchise to five championships and is currently at the helm of the Indian team in both ODI and Test cricket. Rohit stepped away from T20I cricket after leading India in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The ex-New Zealand cricketer felt that the Deccan Chargers had a strong team, making them contenders in the 2008 IPL. However, their on-field performances fell short of expectations, leading to a last-place finish that season. A major problem within the squad was the uncertainty surrounding the composition of a balanced playing XI.