Rohit Sharma's 'intimidating aura' felt in England dressing room: 'The entire team started staring at him when...'

Rohit Sharma may not be in the best of form right now, but the Indian batter undoubtedly remains one of the superstars of the game. The Indian captain made a return to the fifty-over format on Thursday when the side took on England in the first ODI of the series in Nagpur, and the excitement was at its peak as Rohit walked down the steps to bat in India's run-chase. Nagpur: India's captain Rohit Sharma reacts during the first ODI cricket match between India and England (PTI)

After the side bowled England out for 248, Rohit made his way out of the dressing room in batting gear, drawing a tremendous applause from the fans in Nagpur. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also noticed the crowd's excitement and spoke in detail about the ‘emotions’ that fans have for their star cricketers.

“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.

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