Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has fondly reminisced about his time with Rohit Sharma, recognizing the Indian star’s exceptional talent early on in his career. During their shared stint with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the 2008 and 2009 IPL seasons, Styris witnessed firsthand the potential that Sharma possessed.
Styris, who was a teammate of the young Sharma when he was just 19 or 20 years old, recalls being impressed by his abilities. “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,” Styris told cricket .com.
Looking back at the Chargers’ journey, Styris also reflected on their initial struggles in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, where they finished last. He attributed the team’s poor performance to a lack of balance and the limitations imposed by the IPL rules at the time. “The very first year we were actually favourites to win it and we came last. Part of that was because we didn’t have a great balance. We had great names on paper but you’re only allowed to play four overseas players,” the former New Zealander explained. “We’d either load up the batting and the bowling would be weak, or we’d load up the bowling and the batting would be weak. When we tried to load it up with all-rounders, we were a little bit bits-and-pieces and weren’t quite strong enough in any of them and ended up coming last.”
However, the Chargers turned their fortunes around the following season, culminating in a triumphant IPL title win in 2009 under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist. They defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a memorable final, demonstrating their remarkable transformation and proving their strength as a team.
