Rohit Sharma's 'intimidating presence' leaves an impact on England dressing room: 'All eyes fixated on him when...'

After England's dismissal for 248, Rohit emerged from the dressing room fully geared up for batting, prompting a thunderous applause from the fans in Nagpur. The atmosphere was electric as even former England captain Kevin Pietersen couldn't help but notice the overwhelming excitement among the crowd for their beloved star cricketer. Pietersen went on to discuss the deep emotional connection fans often have with their favorite players.

“Honestly, it's unbelievable. Rohit Sharma exits the dressing room, and the crowd goes absolutely mental. It's remarkable how big stars these guys are. That's why he re-emphasise the point; enjoy these stars while they are around. Look at the emotions in the entire stadium when a guy like Rohit Sharma walks down those steps,” said Pietersen.

The England great also pointed out that the members of the English team instinctually looked up at Rohit and “stared” at the Indian captain following the roar from the crowd, highlighting the “intimidating” presence of the skipper.

“Can I tell you something. When Rohit Sharma walked down, we had visuals of the England dressing room. When the whole crowd went up, all of the England team started staring at him. That's intimidating, that's aura, and that's something he created; not because he's Rohit Sharma, but because of the runs he scored, because of his average,” said Pietersen.

Rohit, however, couldn't live to the hype in the first ODI, as he was dismissed for 2 in the run-chase. The dismissal, however, didn't hurt India as Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel stepped up with strong half-centuries to guide the hosts to a four-wicket victory.

Preparations for Champions Trophy

The series against England marked India's return to the format after five months; India will play two more ODIs against England before travelling to Dubai for the Champions Trophy, where India open their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025 and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }