R Kaushik, author of ‘The Rise of the Hitman’, a new biography on Rohit Sharma, talks to Nichola Marie about what makes the celebrated cricketer tick, why this was the right moment to tell his story, and how the quiet Mumbai boy won hearts without losing his head.

What drew you to tell Rohit Sharma’s story at this particular point in his career, and how did you approach balancing his cricketing journey with the more personal aspects of his life?

Rohit Sharma’s has been a fascinating journey of numerous highs and the inevitable setbacks. The initial provocation for this book was India’s victory at the T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean last June. Considering it was India’s first ICC title since 2013 and their first World Cup triumph after 2011, and given how Sharma shaped the team and led from the front, we felt it was a story that had to be told. As the book unfolded, India had a terrible run in Test cricket but redeemed themselves somewhat by winning the Champions Trophy in Dubai in March, which all inadvertently helped with the timing. Much of the book focuses on his cricket. There are a few insights from friends and those closely associated with him on non-cricketing elements, but the primary emphasis is on Sharma the cricketer.

What stands out as the turning point in his transformation into one of India’s most dependable leaders?

In a career as long as he has had – he has played for the country for nearly 18 years – there are bound to be numerous key moments that influence the journey. An unfortunate injury on the morning of his scheduled Test debut in February 2010 pushed back his first Test appearance by more than three-and-a-half years. In that period, he established himself as a decent middle-order batter, but the first significant boost came when he was made a white￾ball opener by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in January 2013. He has gone on to become one of the legends of limited-overs cricket though he still didn’t quite crack the Test code until October 2019, when he was again thrust into the opener’s role against South Africa by Virat Kohli. He found his calling at the top of the order, worked on proving his credentials in all conditions and made himself indispensable to the Test team as well. By the time Kohli quit as captain, Sharma had established his leadership traits, both at Mumbai Indians and whenever he had led the country on an interim basis. His fluid man-management skills and total investment in the various backroom discussions enabled him to be on top of his game when the national captaincy across formats came to him in March 2022.

Were there any anecdotes or reflections that surprised you or changed your perception of him — either as a cricketer or as a person?

One of the standout features while talking to various people during the writing of the book was the unanimity that despite having reached dizzying heights as a batter and a leader, he had been largely untouched by fame. That he was still the same boy￾next-door, if you like, in 2024 as he had been in 2007, when he first played for the country. Sharma has always been respectful and polite, but I was amazed by how universally popular he is with his peers, with his juniors and with the seniors with whom he first shared a dressing room as a shy youngster and under whom he later blossomed when they became coaches of teams that he led – such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, as well as Anil Kumble, among others.

The book covers pivotal moments in Indian cricket since the mid-2000s. How has Sharma’s role evolved across different eras, and how do you see his influence on the current generation of players?

Very early in his career, within three months of playing for India for the first time, Sharma played an important part in India’s success at the first T20 World Cup in South Africa. He was devastated at being left out of the squad for the home 50-over World Cup in 2011, which poked the beast in him. He worked extremely hard to make his way back into the side and was one of the vital drivers of the Champions Trophy triumph in England in 2013. Five centuries in the 2019 World Cup, also in England, didn’t mean much to him because India lost in the semi-final, but his willingness to open the batting in Tests, six years after his debut as a middle-order batter, showed that he was hungry for success in the five-day game too. Once he became the captain, he brought a sense of stability and calmness to the dressing room. He emphasised aggression and took it upon himself to set the tone, which meant the others were almost compelled to follow suit. Sharma never asked his colleagues to do anything that he didn’t. He placed team before self – as evidenced by him sitting out of the Sydney Test in January because he felt he didn’t figure in the best XI at the time due to poor form – and that’s a message that has hit home.

What aspects or qualities does this book bring to light about Sharma both on and off the field?

One of the misconceptions about Sharma is that he is laid back to the extent of being termed lazy. One can’t be ‘lazy’ and court the kind of success he has over such an extended period. His commitment to the pursuit of excellence is second to none. While he might not be overtly expressive or openly aggressive with his body language, he doesn’t take prisoners lightly. One of the standout features of his captaincy tenure is both his willingness to take hard decisions and the tough conversations with dropped players that he could have easily avoided. The players knew exactly where they stood, they knew that the captain had their back. As a person outside of cricket, the fact that his friends of his formative years are still his friends is a great eye-opener. He hasn’t felt the need to portray himself as anyone other than what he is. And what he is, is a wonderful package – honest, down-to-earth, modest and thoroughly committed to whatever cause he is espousing.