World Cup 2023: 'Professor' Rohit Sharma wins 'Best Fielder' medal after India vs South Africa; Watch

In another dominant display at the ICC World Cup 2023, Team India brushed aside South Africa to bag their eighth win on the bounce. This match was also special since Virat Kohli notched up 49th ODI ton, drawing level with Sachin Tendulkar’s tally.   World Cup 2023: News | Schedule | Results | Points table Among the numerous standout moments of the game, one that shone brightly was Rohit Sharma’s deserving recognition as the ‘Fielder of the Match.’ The ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal is a unique tradition introduced by India’s fielding coach, T. Dilip, during this World Cup. It has also played a significant part in elevating fielding standards of the Indian team throughout the tournament.

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For all his batting and leadership abilities, Rohit Sharma was always a safe fielder and an exceptional catcher. Shreyas Iyer, who had delivered a match-winning performance with his fifty against South Africa, presented the medal to Rohit as rest of the teammates engulfed the captain. Young players in the team - namely Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill were stoked with this announcement.  

“Beauty of our team is that we just fly on the field but also we just don’t field with the hands but it is with a genuine commitment,” T Dilip started the post-match team talk. Dilip, when discussing Rohit Sharma, called him “the professor” due to his exceptional tactical acumen in positioning fielders. He also said that the management and the captain had established certain team philosophies, one of which emphasized the significance of putting their bodies on the line.   “I call him the professor because he is tactically gun on getting the fielders at right position. One year back as a team, we found some philosophies for the team and one important thing was putting body on the line. If anyone comes as a first example, it’s the captain,” says Dilip on Rohit Sharma. In the video posted by BCCI, Rohit Sharma said it was a tradition initiated during this tournament. He further mentioned that T. Dilip, the fielding coach, has repeatedly spoken how important the medal is and that it is more about putting the body on the line and well beyond catches and run-outs.