If Rohit Sharma was not as talented as he is, would we love him more?

“Everyone has talent. What’s rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads.” ― Erica Jong That Erica Jong, I tell you. She’s always making me think. And so does that talented Rohit Sharma. Yes, that Rohit Sharma. He, too, is always making me think. So let’s think what if. Let’s think what if Rohit Sharma was less talented? Life would be so easy, no? Yes it certainly would be - for fans of Rohit Sharma, for Rohit Sharma haters, and for Rohit Sharma. This question of talent, I tell you, it can be thought-provoking. [caption id=“attachment_2297620” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File picture of Rohit Sharma. AFP[/caption] So now I’m thinking if the incredibly talented Rohit Sharma was less incredibly talented, his fans wouldn’t expect so incredibly much from him, right? Rohit Sharma, however, is an incorrigible tease. If Rohit Sharma were less talented, his fans would not end up feeling so incredibly crushed ever-so-often when Rohit Sharma fails ever-so-often. Such a happy place that world would be, no? And I’m thinking if the embarrassingly talented Rohit Sharma was less talented, he’d be a lot more popular. That’s right, more popular. And if Rohit Sharma were less talented, he would in all probability have made the most of his talents; because they would be dearer to him. The way things stand, Rohit Sharma is so abundantly talented, he doesn’t care much for his gifts. If Rohit Sharma was less talented, he would surely have worked harder, more humbly to make life more fun for Rohit Sharma. Oh, yes, this Rohit Sharma’s talent is a confusing business. Talent, she has thrown herself on Rohit Sharma. Talent, she has wrapped herself around Rohit Sharma. Talent, she has been too partial to Rohit Sharma. Oh, Talent, Rohit Sharma has too much of it! Talent, she deserves to be punished for being so profligate. If a wee bit, yes, just a wee bit of Rohit Sharma’s talent had been allocated to, say, ‘Sir’ Ravindra Jadeja, how much more balance that would have lent to the Indian team. Believe it or not, everyone has talent. Yes, everyone. Rohit Sharma has it in spades. But does he have the courage to follow it to the dark places it leads? So far, Rohit Sharma’s brazen talents have showed him up to be a bit of a letdown. A less talented Rohit Sharma may not have scored two double hundreds in ODIs, but he may have careful enough to guide India to many more wins. A less talented Rohit Sharma may not have picked up his runs as gracefully and as stylishly and as quickly as this supremely-gifted Rohit Sharma, but a less endowed Rohit Sharma may have turned out a better, more careful Test player than this careless Rohit Sharma. Which Rohit Sharma will India prefer? Which Rohit Sharma would Rohit Sharma prefer? Which Rohit Sharma will serve the good name Rohit Sharma better? Then again, what if this Rohit Sharma is more talented than we think he is. What if this incredibly, abundantly, precociously blessed Rohit Sharma is even more talented, yes, more talented, than he already is? That can only mean more trouble with talent management for Rohit Sharma, right? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe Rohit Sharma some hidden talents in the depths of the still waters that run deep within his being. Rohit Sharma has proven himself to be even more skilled than we thought he is by leading the talent-infested Mumbai Indians to stunning peaks as captain of a side overflowing with big names and big mouths. Rohit Sharma has proven himself to be even more talented than we thought he is by managing to make Ricky Ponting, of all the difficult people in the world, look good on Indian soil. Will Rohit Sharma prove himself to be more than just super-talented? Will he prove to be more than just a pretty face? Will Rohit Sharma make more Test runs than, say, Virender Sehwag (someone less talented than Rohit Sharma)? Forget Sehwag, will Rohit Sharma make more Test runs than MS Dhoni, a player that every one of you will say is much less talented than Rohit Sharma? So, which Rohit Sharma would you like, the more talented-but-less-responsible one or the less-talented-but-more-responsible one? This question of talent, I say. It can be so confusing.